The Pastorals of Virgil, Eclogue I: The Shepherd Chases away a Wolf

William Blake conceived and engraved 17 designs for Dr. Robert John Thornton’s The Pastorals of Virgil, a popular schoolbook used in teaching Latin. The publication included translations of poems by ancient Roman author Virgil that focus on a rural setting as both a subject matter and as the background for discussions of various issues, from love to politics. Blake’s illustrations reveal his emphasis on the natural world. As his only wood engravings, they also show how the process entails cutting away from the woodblock to create lighter sections, in essence working in white over a black background. Here, several areas—such as the textures of the trees—emphasize that point.

A horizontally oriented wood engraving in black ink on cream paper with dense, wavy contours and short lines depicts a man with a light skin tone standing with arms raised and holding a staff with a curved end. To the left, a four-legged animal walks forward, while another runs across the hilly background. To the right, a wooden fence forms a pen beside a thatched building and a large, dense tree.

The Pastorals of Virgil, Eclogue I: The Shepherd Chases away a Wolf

1821

William Blake

(British, 1757–1827)

England, 19th century

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