Art, Symbol & Imagination
The open book beneath the blazing face
A bearded face appears above an enormous open book, its arms spread behind the pages and bright rays breaking through the surrounding darkness. Blake sets this compact design above two columns of illuminated text. The relation between a written book and its seemingly embodied author gives the page its distinctive force.
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Citation
William Blake. "The open book beneath the blazing face" [editorial title]. In The Book of Urizen, William Blake. undated edition. Source scan leaf 5. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/urizen-complete-05
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
Full illustrated leaf from the checksum-verified active library copy. Descriptive title supplied for this gallery entry.
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 open book beneath the blazing face. The Book of Urizen. Scan leaf 5. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/urizen-complete-05