The Temptation and Fall of Eve - William Blake
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed watercolour by William Blake depicting the biblical scene of Eve and the serpent, created for his series illustrating Paradise Lost.
William Blake produced this watercolour as part of a series illustrating John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost. The composition depicts the moment of transgression within the Garden of Eden. Eve stands to the right, entwined by the serpent, which offers the forbidden fruit directly into her mouth. Adam is positioned to the left, facing away from the central tree, his posture suggesting a state of unawareness or detachment from the immediate action occurring behind him.
Blake employs a distinct visual language here, utilising strong outlines and a muted, atmospheric palette to convey the narrative. The tree acts as a vertical divider, separating the two figures while simultaneously anchoring the scene. The serpent is rendered with a degree of anthropomorphism, its head positioned to interact directly with Eve. The background features a darkened, somewhat ominous sky, which contrasts with the lighter tones of the figures, drawing the eye to the central interaction.
This work reflects Blake's interest in the tension between human desire and divine law. His approach to the human form is classical in its proportions, yet the execution remains distinctly personal, characteristic of his visionary style. The use of ink and watercolour allows for subtle gradations of tone, particularly in the musculature of the figures and the texture of the tree bark. By focusing on the psychological weight of the moment, Blake moves beyond simple narrative illustration, offering a interpretation of the fall that emphasises the internal state of the characters. The work remains a primary example of his ability to synthesise literary themes with his own mythological framework, creating a visual experience that is both grounded in tradition and uniquely expressive.
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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
The Temptation and Fall of Eve - 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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