Infant Joy (1926)

Title

Infant Joy (1926)

Student Commentary:

Two flowers bloom from a patch of grass in the bottom right corner of this plate from Songs of Innocence (1926 facsimile). One flower is still drooping and not fully formed. The other is a magnificent fuchsia and has opened its petals. Between the petals sits a young woman wearing a long yellow gown and holding a newborn child. A female figure with wings wearing a white gown stands across from the woman with arms extended, as if she is waiting to hold the child. The words “Infant Joy” are in light cursive writing at the top of the plate, with the rest of the poem nestled in between the stems of the flowers. The image reflects the “sweet joy” of the poem.

The coloring and impact of this image should be compared to that of other reproductions in the library’s collections, made by different hands or from different original copies. Unlike the 1954 reproduction, for example, the female figure with wings blends into the image because she is not colored in blue. This shifts the emphasis from a three person interaction to the woman holding the newborn and the flower in which she is sitting.

Links:

Detailed View of Image at the William Blake Archive

About this Book

Source

William Blake@Union Digital Collection