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Creator:
Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827
Title:
The Little Girl Lost (Plate 20)
Additional Title(s):
Verso: The Little Girl Found (Plate 21)
Part Of:

Collective Title: Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Copy F

Date:
1789
Materials & Techniques:
Relief etching printed in green ink, with hand coloring in watercolor on moderately thick, slightly textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 7 1/4 x 4 3/4 inches (18.4 x 12.1 cm), Plate: 4 3/8 x 2 3/4 inches (11.1 x 7 cm), Plate: 4 3/8 x 2 3/4 inches (11.1 x 7 cm)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:

Inscribed in graphite, upper center: "12"

Lettered inside image: "The Little Girl Lost | In futurity | I prophetic see. | That the earth from sleep. | (Grave the sentence deep) | Shall arise and seek | For her maker meek: | And the desart wild | Become a garden mild. | In the [...]. | Where the summers [...]. | Never fades away; | Lovely Lyca lay. | Seven summers old | Lovely Lyca told. | [...] had wanderd long. | Hearing wild birds song. | Sweet sleep come to she | Underneath this tree; | Do father, mother weep -- | Where can Lyca sleep. | Lost in desart wild | Is your little child. | How can Lyca sleep. | If her mother weep. | If her heart does ake. | Then let Lyca wake; | If my mother sleep, | Lyca shall not weep. | Frowning frowning night, | O'er this desart bright, | Let thy moon arise. | While I close my eyes. | Sleeping Lyca lay; | While the beasts of prey, | Come from caverns deep. | View'd the maid asleep | The kingly lion stood | And the virgin view'd, | Then he gambold round | O'er the hallowd ground;"; Lettered on verso, inside image, upper center: "Leopards, tygers play, | Round her as she lay; | While the lion old, | Bow'd his mane of gold. | And her bosom lick, | And upon her neck, | From his eyes of flame, | Ruby tears there came; | While the lioness | Loos'd her slender dress, | And naked they convey'd | To caves the sleeping maid."; lower center: "The Little Girl Found | All the night in woe, | Lyca's parents go: | Over vallies deep | While the desarts weep. | Tired and woe begone. | Hoarse with making moan: | Arm in arm seven days. | They traed the desart ways. | Seven nights they sleep. | Among shadows deep: | And dream they see their child | Starv'd in desart wild. | Pale thro' pathless ways | The fancied image strays. | Famish'd"

Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1978.43.1557
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
birds | branches | historical subject | kissing | leaf | men | pointing | serpent | snake | text | tiger | trees | vegetation | vines | women
Access:
Accessible by appointment in the Study Room [Request]
Note: The Study Room is open by appointment. Please visit the Study Room page on our website for more details.
Link:
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:2497
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William Blake - His Art & Times (Art Gallery of Ontario, 1982-12-03 - 1983-02-06) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

William Blake - His Art & Times (Yale Center for British Art, 1982-09-15 - 1982-11-14) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]


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