Thenot and Colinet lead their flocks together
1820 - 1821
Medium
wood engraving
Dimensions
35; 76
About this artwork
inscription: ‘Thenot. To illustrate lines 1, 2.’
Art Historical Context
In the twilight of his career, visionary artist and poet William Blake created *Thenot and Colinet their flocks together* around 1820-1821. This intimate wood engraving, measuring just 35mm high by 76mm wide, captures serene pastoral scene of two shepherds guiding their flocks side by side. The inscription "Thenot. To illustrate 1, 2" reveals its purpose as a precise vignette for early lines of a poetic work, likely drawing from Renaissance pastoral traditions where shepherds like Thenot and Col symbolize rustic harmony and moral dialogue. Blake, a cornerstone of British Romanticism, infused ...
About the Artist
William Blake · 1757–1827
William Blake (1757–1827) stands as one of the most visionary and unconventional artists in British history, a poet-painter-printmaker whose mystical imagination and radical vision profoundly shaped the Romantic movement. Born in London's Soho district, Blake experienced visions from childhood—claiming to see angels in trees at age eight—and these spiritual encounters would guide his art throughou...