{"product_id":"the-pastorals-of-virgil-eclogue-i-the-shepherd-chases-away-a-wolf-william-blake","title":"The Pastorals of Virgil, Eclogue I: The Shepherd Chases away a Wolf - William Blake","description":"\u003cp\u003eA wood engraving by William Blake from his 1821 series illustrating The Pastorals of Virgil, capturing a dramatic pastoral scene of a shepherd protecting his flock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wood engraving is one of the seventeen illustrations William Blake produced for Robert John Thornton's edition of The Pastorals of Virgil, published in 1821. It represents a rare foray into wood engraving for the artist, who typically favoured copperplate etching and engraving for his own visionary books. Despite the technical constraints of the medium, Blake achieved a remarkable degree of tonal variation and atmospheric depth within a small format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scene depicts a shepherd in a moment of urgent action, raising a staff to drive a wolf away from his flock. The composition is dense, with the shepherd positioned centrally against a backdrop of rolling hills and a rustic enclosure. Blake employs a series of short, rhythmic marks to define the textures of the foliage, the sheep, and the rugged terrain. The contrast between the dark, hatched areas and the lighter, un-inked paper creates a sense of movement and tension typical of his late work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese illustrations were highly regarded by a younger generation of artists, including Samuel Palmer and Edward Calvert, who formed the group known as the Ancients. They admired the raw, expressive quality of Blake's woodcuts, which departed from the polished, academic style prevalent in commercial book illustration at the time. The work captures a sense of pastoral drama, focusing on the vulnerability of the flock and the protective role of the shepherd. It remains a significant example of Blake's ability to imbue small-scale commercial commissions with his own distinct imaginative power and technical innovation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/psyche-throwing-herself-into-the-river-william-morris\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePsyche Throwing Herself into the River by William Morris\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/don-quichotte-bevrijdt-eugenia-caspar-luyken\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eDon Quichotte bevrijdt Eugenia by Caspar Luyken\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/william-blake\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#2a555a;border:1px solid #2a555a;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#ffffff;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eWilliam Blake prints →\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"William Blake","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59460329865551,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59460374790479,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59460374823247,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59460374856015,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59460374888783,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59460374921551,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59460374954319,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59460374987087,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59460375019855,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59460375052623,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59460375085391,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59460375118159,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/The-Pastorals-of-Virgil-Eclogue-I_-The-Shepherd-Chases-away-a-Wolf_Poster_CompositorV1_1792306156346.jpg?v=1794351372","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/products\/the-pastorals-of-virgil-eclogue-i-the-shepherd-chases-away-a-wolf-william-blake","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}