William Blake's Designs For Gray's Poems by H. J. C. Grierson - 1922

London - Oxford University Press, 1922 Book. Good. Hardcover. William Blake's enchanting illustrations for the poetry of Thomas Gray. Blake is considered to be a visionary artist who was at one and the same time impossible to classify and yet utterly distinctive. All of the qualities that make him so are on display in this series of illustrations. Rich in the fantastic, and with undercurrents of the occult, the drawings are nevertheless intimate. Like all the best illustrations, they draw the reader in with their apparent informality, and yet add an numinous sense of fantasy to the poems they illustrate. Gray, perhaps appropriately, is unique in his own way. While the collected works published during his life amount to fewer than 1,000 lines, he is considered the greatst English poet of his day. His Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard was perhaps the most admired poem of his day, and remains one of the most quoted works in the English language. A volume displaying the combined genius of two of the greatest artists of 18th century England. Six illustrations in colour, the rest in black and white. Condition: In full cloth with gilt lettering to the front board. Externally with some bumping to the extremities, and some damage to the front joint. The front joint is still firm. There is some marking to the rear board. With a stamp from the publisher to the front pastedown. Internally, a little age toned but otherwise clean and bright. Firmly bound. Overall: GOOD.