The Canterbury Pilgrims - William Blake

Art Institute of Chicago, public domain

"The Canterbury Pilgrims" by William Blake (1810) Line engraving on cream laid paper.

Commentary

"The Canterbury Pilgrims" by William Blake (1810) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Th emes to notice include engraving. This piece is held in Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection. William Blake is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: William Blake English, 1757-1827. The work is cataloged within a England cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as engraving, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Line engraving on cream laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 29.5 × 92 cm (11 5/8 × 36 1/4 in.); Plate: 30 × 92.5 cm (11 13/16 × 36 7/16 in.); Sheet: 36.8 × 96.5 cm (14 1/2 × 38 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include engraving. Compare this reading with the museum record at Art Institute of Chicago: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/117595

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data