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	BLAKE, William (1757-1827, illustrator) -- Edward YOUNG (1683-1765) The Complaint, and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts London: R. Noble for Richard Edwards, 1797 [watermarked 1794]. Large quarto (16 x 12 1/2 inches). 4 section titles and 39 pages with engraved border illustrations by William Blake, with the letterpress Explanation of the Engravings leaf. (15 illustrations slightly shaved as usual, small repaired marginal tears to final Explanation leaf). Contemporary red straight-grained morocco, covers tooled with wide decorative border in gilt and blind, spine in seven compartments with raised bands, the bands highlighted with a decorative roll in gilt, lettered in the second compartment, the others tooled in gilt with small tools and pointillé work, marbled endpapers, g.e. Provenance: Thomas Taylour, Earl of Bective (1844-1893, courtesy title of eldest son of the Marquis of Headfort, Underley Hall, Westmorland, armorial bookplate); Dr. Greville Matheson MacDonald (1856-1944, Blake collector, bookplate); George Goyder (1908-1997, Blake collector, armorial bookplate, signature dated 1937). The MacDonald-Goyder copy of a spectacular work illustrated by Blake. "Of the merit of Mr. Blake ... the editor conceives it to be unnecessary to speak. To the eyes of the discerning it need not be pointed out; and while the taste for the arts of design shall continue to exist, the original conception, and the bold and masterly execution of this artist cannot be unnoticed or unadmired" (advertisement, p.viii). Despite the editor's assertions, contemporary lack of appreciation for Blake's masterly illustrations has meant that very few examples of this remarkable work are to be found in fine contemporary bindings. The present copy is, however, in a glorious contemporary binding, with the additional benefit of having been in at least two of the most important Blake collections ever assembled. Dr. MacDonald, the eldest son of novelist George MacDonald, assembled a wide-ranging collection of Blake's works, many of which were offered for sale by the bookseller Francis Edwards (probably in 1930). George Goyder, who evidently acquired this book in 1937, was a co-founder in 1949 of the Blake Trust and a president of the William Blake Society: his collection of original artwork and books illustrated by Blake was probably the greatest assembled during the 20th century. Blake originally intended the present work to be the first installment of a much larger illustrated edition of Young's best selling poem. He chose 43 images to engrave from the 537 drawings in watercolour he had made around pages of the first edition of Young's poem, inlaid in album sheets. Perhaps baffled by the novelty of Blake's interpretations, the public remained unreceptive, and the book remains what is essentially a remarkable fragment: a tantalising hint of what might have been. Bentley 515; Bindman 337-379; Bentley 515; Ray, Illustrator and the Book, 3. #21938$25,000.00
	BLAKE, William (1757-1827) [Christ Trampling on Satan] [London: circa 1806-1808, but printed by Edward J. Shaw in circa 1903]. Engraving, by Thomas Butts, after Blake. Laid paper. First and only state. Hand written in ink, upper right corner "Cent quatre vingt septieme 187". Plate mark: 12 3/8 x 6 3/8 inches. Sheet size: 16 1/4 x 10 1/4 inches. A determined Christ walks over the vanquished Satan This fascinating engraving, after a Blake drawing, depicts a muscular and single-minded Christ with a bow in one hand and arrow in the other walking on the beard and chest of Satan, who despite his lifeless eyes reaches for Christ's bow. Blake's Christ is more reminiscent of Hercules or Gilgamesh than the Christ known to us through church iconography and his Satan reminds us more of Zeus than Christianity's Devil. Thomas Butts, senior (1757-1845) and junior (1788-1862), were both given drawing and engraving lessons by Blake starting in March 1806. They produced a number of plates from Blake's designs although his level of direct involvement can only be estimated. The present plate was sold by the Butts' descendants at Sotheby's, lot 20, 24 June, 1903. The plate was acquired shortly after the auction by Edward J. Shaw of Walsall. He apparently had printed a number of impressions by December 1903. These are the earliest recorded impressions of this plate (other than a single impression sold with the plate at the auction). The plate remained in Shaw's possession until 1925 when it was sold at Sotheby's (29 July, lot lot158) to Mansfiled. The New York dealers E.Weyhe, bought a number of impressions (and possibly the plate itself) as they still had multiple copies for sale as late as 1965. Essick records 18 copies of this print, on various paper types, but no order of precedence is given, and he had not seen any `proof' impressions. Essick The Separate Plates of William Blake #23193$3,750.00
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