Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Infant Sorrow after 1794

Curator: This is William Blake’s print, "Infant Sorrow," part of his "Songs of Innocence and of Experience." The work dates around 1794 and is rendered in relief etching. Editor: It evokes such a stark, unsettling feeling. The composition, with its dense lines, feels almost claustrophobic, trapping the figures within the frame. Curator: Note how Blake uses visual symbols; the swaddling bands, the weeping figures—they all speak to a sense of confinement and the loss of freedom at birth. Editor: The contrast between the dark lines and the white spaces creates a real sense of tension. The mother's pose, though nurturing, appears almost strained. Curator: The poem, etched alongside the image, amplifies the feeling. The infant's cry, the parents' sorrow—it's all a commentary on the burdens of existence, symbolized in this single scene. Editor: Seeing it through that lens, the image resonates with a powerful message, a cultural script that frames birth as a sorrowful event, marking a loss of innocence. Curator: Indeed, it is a complex interpretation, a testament to Blake’s profound insight.