Pity (William Blake)
William Blake created the print Pity around 1795 as part of a series known as Large Colour Prints. This work emerged during a period when Shakespeare's play Macbeth was experiencing a major revival in popularity, with nine performances recorded that same year. The artist drew direct inspiration from lines in Act One, Scene Seven where pity is compared to a naked new-born babe striding through the blast. Blake also incorporated influences from the Bible and the writings of John Milton into this single sheet of paper. Martin Butlin later described this colour print as one of the most inspired literal illustrations of a text in art history. The visual composition captures a female cherub leaning down to snatch a baby from its mother while air swirls around them.
Blake produced these works using an unusual method involving paint applied directly onto gessoed millboard matrices. He could obtain up to three impressions from a single painting by pressing paper against the wet paint on the board. Each resulting impression required hand-finishing with ink and watercolour to complete the image. A fourth version exists in the British Museum but represents an early trial from a different matrix rather than a standard impression. This smaller proof print depicts the supine figure partially covered in vegetation with sweeping fronds of long grass. The process allowed for unique variations between each copy since no two paintings were exactly identical before printing began.
Alexander Gilchrist observed that the print shows a woman bending down to succour a man stretched out at length as if given over to death. His description referred to a version without colour which led him to identify the prone figure as male. Critics note that pity functions as a personification of Christian elements within Blake's complex mythology. Some scholars argue this virtue represented failure of inspiration and further division in his philosophical system. The emotion inherent in Tharmas, a sexually frustrated character, manifests as pity while becoming terror to all living things. Other characters experience similar feelings during confrontations between feminine Pity and masculine fiery forces like Urizen.
Pity stands in opposition to another work titled The Night of Enitharmon's Joy created around 1795. That print displays Hecate surrounded by fantastic creatures and macabre elements resembling a nightmare scene. In contrast, Pity offers a possibility of salvation within the fallen world through the act of showing compassion. Both prints reference Shakespeare's Macbeth yet approach its themes from different mythological angles. Nicholas Rawlinson noted how the play was undergoing major revival when Blake worked on these images. Connections exist between the helpless state described in Yeats' poem The Wind Among the Reeds published decades later and Blake's visual treatment of pity.
Four versions of the print survive today held across major institutions including Tate Gallery London and British Museum. The most elaborate version resides at Tate Gallery where it was presented by W. Graham Robertson in 1939 under catalog number Butlin 310. A unique proof print exists in the British Museum with significantly smaller dimensions than final designs. Another impression sits in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection donated by Mrs. Robert W. Goelet in 1958. A lightly retouched version appears at Yale Center for British Art somewhat yellowed by varnish over time. William Blake Archive records indicate the first impression came from the larger matrix in 1795 followed by subsequent copies.
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Common questions
When did William Blake create the print Pity?
William Blake created the print Pity around 1795 as part of a series known as Large Colour Prints. The work emerged during a period when Shakespeare's play Macbeth was experiencing a major revival in popularity with nine performances recorded that same year.
What is the visual composition of William Blake's print Pity?
The visual composition captures a female cherub leaning down to snatch a baby from its mother while air swirls around them. Alexander Gilchrist observed that the print shows a woman bending down to succour a man stretched out at length as if given over to death.
How did William Blake produce the print Pity?
Blake produced these works using an unusual method involving paint applied directly onto gessoed millboard matrices. He could obtain up to three impressions from a single painting by pressing paper against the wet paint on the board and each resulting impression required hand-finishing with ink and watercolour to complete the image.
Where are the four surviving versions of William Blake's print Pity located?
Four versions of the print survive today held across major institutions including Tate Gallery London and British Museum. The most elaborate version resides at Tate Gallery where it was presented by W. Graham Robertson in 1939 under catalog number Butlin 310 and another impression sits in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection donated by Mrs. Robert W. Goelet in 1958.
What is the relationship between William Blake's print Pity and Shakespeare's Macbeth?
The artist drew direct inspiration from lines in Act One Scene Seven where pity is compared to a naked new-born babe striding through the blast. Both prints reference Shakespeare's Macbeth yet approach its themes from different mythological angles while Nicholas Rawlinson noted how the play was undergoing major revival when Blake worked on these images.