Satan Calling Up his Legions - William Blake
Archival giclée
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Description
A dramatic illustration by William Blake depicting a scene from Milton's Paradise Lost, rendered in pen and watercolour with intense, fiery tones.
William Blake produced this work as part of a series of illustrations based on John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost. The composition depicts the moment Satan stands upon a rock, arms raised, summoning his fallen followers from the burning lake. Blake uses a dark, atmospheric palette to convey the infernal setting, relying on deep ochres, burnt umbers, and fiery oranges to suggest the heat and chaos of the abyss.
The figures are rendered with the muscular, elongated anatomy characteristic of Blake's style. They appear to emerge from the shadows, their forms defined by fluid, calligraphic lines that suggest movement and agony. The central figure of Satan dominates the upper portion of the frame, his posture echoing classical heroic statuary, yet distorted by the context of his rebellion. The surrounding figures are arranged in a dense, swirling mass, creating a sense of claustrophobia and overwhelming scale.
Blake's approach to this subject avoids traditional religious iconography, opting instead for a personal, visionary interpretation of Milton's text. The work demonstrates his interest in the human form as a vehicle for emotional and spiritual expression. By focusing on the physical exertion of the figures, Blake captures the psychological weight of the narrative. The application of watercolour allows for translucent layers of colour, which build up the texture of the flames and the rocky terrain. This technique creates a sense of depth that draws the viewer into the scene, despite the lack of conventional perspective. The work remains a primary example of Blake's ability to translate complex literary themes into visual form, maintaining a balance between narrative clarity and imaginative intensity.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Satan Calling Up his Legions - William Blake
Artist Biography
William Blake
He married Catherine Boucher in 1782. She was illiterate at the time and signed the marriage register with an X. He taught her to read, write, and engrave, and she became his collaborator for the next forty-five years: mixing paint, operating the printing press, hand-colouring plates, and binding the finished pages into covers.
Their working method was Blake's own invention, revealed to him (he said) in a dream by the spirit of his dead brother Robert. Relief etching reversed the standard printmaking process: instead of cutting lines into copper, Blake wrote and drew on the plate in acid-resistant varnish, then dissolved the surrounding metal with acid, leaving text and image raised. This allowed him to compose poetry and illustration simultaneously on a single plate, print them together, then hand-colour each sheet in watercolour. Every copy was therefore unique. Songs of Innocence and of Experience was produced this way. He sold fewer than thirty copies during his lifetime.
In 1803, he physically threw a soldier named John Schofield out of his garden in Felpham. He was charged with assault and with uttering treasonable expressions against the King. He was acquitted at the Chichester assizes in January 1804.
Newton, painted in 1795, shows the scientist as a young man with the body of a Greek god, bent forward at the bottom of a dark ocean, fixing his gaze on a pair of compasses, measuring and drawing on a scroll that appears to project from his own head. It is a painting about the limits of reason: beautiful, precise, and missing everything beyond the edge of the paper. The Ancient of Days, from the same period, depicts his mythological figure Urizen crouching at the edge of a void, reaching down with a compass to measure the darkness below.
He died on 12 August 1827, working on illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy. He was buried at Bunhill Fields. The wider recognition came decades later.
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