SMALL BOOK OF DESIGNS

British Museum

Small Book of Designs 

From Book of Urizen 

 Of this image David V Erdman makes this statement in The illuminated Blake :

"The 'anguish dividing and dividing" Los's soul mounts to pulsations of labor eventuating in the birth of Enitharmon, the pity engendered by his response to Urizen's plight or need. The process takes 'eternity on eternity' and he holds his hands against his ears , as if to shut out noise, or to keep his head from melting away, or to extrude the placental globe of blood." (Page 199)

All of the prints in the Small Book of Designs had been published by Blake as previously published plates in earlier books. However before printing Blake masked the text on the pages as requested by Ozias Humphry who commissioned the work. Blake overcame his reluctance to separate text from images to satisfy his friend's request.

Years later in a letter to Dawson Turner, Blake lamented the 'Loss of some of the best things' by splitting the pictures from the poetry which had led to their execution. The conception and the execution were of one piece to Blake and not to be torn apart.

Letters, (E 771) 

To Dawson Turner Esqre, Yarmouth, Norfolk
9 June 1818, 17 South Molton Street

Sir
     I send you a List of the different Works you have done me
the honour to enquire after--unprofitable enough to me tho
Expensive to the Buyer
     Those I Printed for Mr Humphry are a selection from the
different Books of such as could be Printed without the Writing
tho to the Loss of some of the best things  For they when Printed
perfect accompany Poetical Personifications & Acts without which
Poems they never could have been Executed"

To view all of the images of the Small Book of Designs in one place visit the Blake Archive.
The following links connect with posts from 2011 which show the images along with text which associates the image with a passage of poetry.

Design 1

Designs 2 3 4

Designs 5 6 7

Designs 8 9 10

Designs 11 12 13

Designs 14 15 16

Designs 17 18 19

Designs 20 21 22

Designs 23

Designs