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Title
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Holy Thursday (1927)
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Student Commentary:
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In this illustration from Songs of Innocence (1927 facsimile), there are small scenes at the top and bottom of the plate. The top scene shows a line of uniformed boys walking two by two behind two older men wearing long coats, hats, and carrying some form of stick. In the bottom scene, girls walk two by two in the opposite direction as the boys. Leading them is a woman in a very plain dress who appears to be carrying a basket. Between these two orderly scenes is the text of the poem, throughout which small vines are drawn. The title, “Holy Thursday,” is also surrounded by vines beneath the topmost scene.
The coloring and impact of this image should be compared to that of other reproductions in the library’s collections, made by different hands or from different original copies. This image is very similar to the 1926 reproduction of Holy Thursday, modeled on the same copy by Blake, and emphasizing soft blues and greens in contrast to the text. However, it uses less black for the figures, leaving the black ink of the text to stand out even more. It also is very different from the 1954 version. It appears more divided into three sections, whereas in the 1954 version, which is primarily colored in similar tones, the images and text blend together more seamlessly.
