Art, Symbol & Imagination
The crouching figure beneath the flames
Beneath the poem’s lettering, a figure crouches on bent knees with both arms drawn behind its head. Flame-like forms rise behind the face and shoulders. Blake concentrates the design into the face, feet and compressed limbs, setting an intensely physical image beneath the narrative text.
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Citation
William Blake. "The crouching figure beneath the flames" [editorial title]. In The Book of Urizen, William Blake. undated edition. Source scan leaf 9. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/gallery-20261108-0247-0009
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
A facsimile reproduction of William Blake’s illuminated book. Lettering and imagery are preserved together where they form a unified plate.
Sources
From the book
The Book of UrizenWilliam BlakeUndated editionMore from this book
The illuminated title page of The Book of Urizen
The windswept prelude to The First Book of Urizen
Outstretched arms above Urizen’s opening chaptersRelated illustrations
Cite this illustration
William Blake. The crouching figure beneath the flames. The Book of Urizen. Scan leaf 9. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/gallery-20261108-0247-0009