The Illuminated Books of William Blake, Volume 1: Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion

Description

The nature of William Blake's genius and of his art is most completely expressed in his Illuminated books. In order to give full and free expression to his vision Blake invented a method of printing that enabled him to create works in which words and images combine to form pages uniquely rich in content and beautiful in form. It is only through the pages as originally conceived and published by the poet himself that Blake's meaning can be fully experienced.

David Bindman is Durning-Lawrence Professor of the History of Art at University College, London. Morton D. Paley is Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley.

"Jerusalem represents a publishing event. Because it was finished at the very end of his life, Blake colored only one copy; this is the first time a full-color reproduction is available to the general public... Elaborate notes and commentary distinguish [the] volume, and the color printing is exceptional."--Lewis Segal, The Los Angeles Times Book Review "A triumph. The exquisite images and a lucid text of each volume endow not just Blake's work, but the relationships between work and image with crystalline clarity... To read, to study, or simply to admire, these books are invaluable."--Eric Gibson, The Washington Times "The publication of this book is a scholarly event of great importance, for... the quality of this publication itself, and the matchless importance of the work... [T]his remarkably good reproduction makes possible for the first time a widespread recognition of the distinctiveness of this work... [Readers] now and in subsequent generations can open eyes into worlds of vision that had previously been closed to all but a few..."--Terence Allan Hoagwood, Blake: An Illustrated Quarterly "Of the four complete copies of Jerusalem printed by Blake himself, only one is fully coloured and, in Blake's chosen word, 'finished'... This is the copy reproduced here, and transcendently splendid work it is, too."--Grevel Lindop, Times Literary Supplement