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Discover historical illustrations by subject, artist and book.

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Blake’s Book of Urizen

Creation and rebellion in Blake’s illuminated plates.

Nielsen’s East of the Sun

Norwegian fairy tales illustrated by Kay Nielsen.

Gnostic Spirit Drawings

Four colour drawings from a 1908 Gnostic text.

Doré’s Dante

From the dark wood to Paradise with Gustave Doré.

The Kingdom of the Gods

Ethelwynne Quail’s visions of the spirit world.

Vassos’s Phobia

Art Deco studies of fear by John Vassos.

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223 illustrations

A narrow stair coils upward through a black field scattered with tiny stars. — W. T. Horton
A narrow stair coils upward through a black field scattered with tiny stars.
A Book of Images

A celestial carriage descends toward the house where the bamboo-cutter's adopted daughter, Kaguya, waits with her attendants. — Evelyn Paul
A celestial carriage descends toward the house where the bamboo-cutter's adopted daughter, Kaguya, waits with her attendants.
Myths and Legends of Japan

A luminous human form rises within a tall flame above a raised fire altar. — J. A. Knapp
A luminous human form rises within a tall flame above a raised fire altar.
The Phoenix

A ring of changing moons surrounds a four-part interior containing small symbolic figures. — Edmund Dulac
A ring of changing moons surrounds a four-part interior containing small symbolic figures.
A Vision

A cloaked figure steps into a dark arched doorway with a bright lamp held low at his side. — William Blake
A cloaked figure steps into a dark arched doorway with a bright lamp held low at his side.
Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion

A kneeling traveller and a standing woman face several pale women appearing over clouds. — Gustave Doré
A kneeling traveller and a standing woman face several pale women appearing over clouds.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Four long-robed figures gather around an open stone coffin while a winged human form ascends above it. — Maker or photographer not identified
Four long-robed figures gather around an open stone coffin while a winged human form ascends above it.
The Phoenix

Two robed men stand within a ritual circle before a pale figure in a moonlit churchyard. — Edward Kelley and a companion stand inside a ritual circle while a shrouded figure appears in a moonlit churchyard.
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts

Pale concentric clouds rise above a church and trees in a colour plate. — A scalloped outline encloses coloured lines and small floating crescents above a church.
Thought-Forms

Layers of blue, green, red and gold form a towering shape above a church. — Successive peaks of blue, green, red and gold rise above a tiny church.
Thought-Forms

A small red fishing sloop pitches beside a breaking wave beneath a dark, snow-filled sky. — John A. Williams
A fierce snowstorm drives Olaf Jansen and his father northward among the icebergs, threatening to capsize their fishing sloop.
The Smoky God

A young woman raises one hand between a wild-haired flying figure and a crouching prince. — Henry Justice Ford
A young woman raises one hand between a wild-haired flying figure and a crouching prince.
The Yellow Fairy Book

Bose arranges the martial display as a meeting of performers and watchers. — Nanda Lal Bose
Bose arranges the martial display as a meeting of performers and watchers.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

A host of armed winged figures falls through clouds beneath a bright opening. — Gustave Doré
A foreground warrior plunges headlong among falling bodies, spread wings and diagonal weapons.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

On the shore a kneeling traveller faces a bearded elder while his companion stands behind him. The open water and pale sky set the three bodies apart. — Gustave Doré
On the shore a kneeling traveller faces a bearded elder while his companion stands behind him.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A winged steersman rises over a close company of pale figures arriving across the water. Two travellers watch from the left, near reeds on the bank. — Gustave Doré
A winged steersman rises over a close company of pale figures arriving across the water.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A seated figure bends his head towards his knees beneath a rocky overhang. Other resting figures gather behind him while two robed travellers approach. — Gustave Doré
A seated figure bends his head towards his knees beneath a rocky overhang.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

An immense eagle carries a cloaked figure through a bright region of cloud. Spread feathers and the traveller’s bent limbs create a diagonal ascent. — Gustave Doré
An immense eagle carries a cloaked figure through a bright region of cloud.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A woman with a spider’s many legs lies amid a rocky scene while the two poets look down. Human limbs and the transformed body crowd the foreground. — Gustave Doré
A woman with a spider’s many legs lies amid a rocky scene while the two poets look down.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Seated and cloaked figures line a narrow ledge against a sheer wall. Dante and Virgil stand among them while the cliff drops into a pale chasm. — Gustave Doré
Seated and cloaked figures line a narrow ledge against a sheer wall.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A lightly draped figure faces two robed travellers amid rolling banks of smoke. A bare rock at the left gives the obscured meeting a small point of stability. — Gustave Doré
A lightly draped figure faces two robed travellers amid rolling banks of smoke.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Three figures move through a dark rocky passage filled with curling smoke. One extends an arm, while the two travellers remain close behind. — Gustave Doré
Three figures move through a dark rocky passage filled with curling smoke.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A kneeling traveller bends towards a prone figure among many bodies stretched along a narrow rocky ledge. His companion stands upright behind him. — Gustave Doré
A kneeling traveller bends towards a prone figure among many bodies stretched along a narrow rocky ledge.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Two standing poets step carefully through a dense company of figures lying face down. The ledge recedes beside a steep, dark drop. — Gustave Doré
Two standing poets step carefully through a dense company of figures lying face down.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Two small figures stand below immense concentric ranks of winged beings surrounding a radiant centre. Clouds form a base beneath the circular assembly. — Gustave Doré
Two small figures stand below immense concentric ranks of winged beings surrounding a radiant centre.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Three robed travellers stand on a rocky edge beside curling flames. Pale figures gather within the fire at the left. — Gustave Doré
Three robed travellers stand on a rocky edge beside curling flames.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A long-haired woman leans into a stream beside reeds and a wooded bank, holding the traveller beneath the water. The broad current occupies the foreground. — Gustave Doré
A long-haired woman leans into a stream beside reeds and a wooded bank, holding the traveller beneath the water.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A traveller bends down beside the stream while a seated guide and a group of women watch within a wooded clearing. Another figure waits farther back. — Gustave Doré
A traveller bends down beside the stream while a seated guide and a group of women watch within a wooded clearing.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A luminous company descends through clouds towards the foreground, where several draped figures become individually visible. Rays fill the upper distance. — Gustave Doré
A luminous company descends through clouds towards the foreground, where several draped figures become individually visible.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Two great circular companies of winged figures surround two small observers on a cloud. The upper ring encloses a bright opening above their heads. — Gustave Doré
Two great circular companies of winged figures surround two small observers on a cloud.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Winged figures gather into a tall cross above clouds, with Dante and Beatrice watching from the lower right. The bright form dominates the pale sky. — Gustave Doré
Winged figures gather into a tall cross above clouds, with Dante and Beatrice watching from the lower right.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Several sweeping ranks of winged figures curve across the sky around two distant observers. The nearest company raises arms and wings in a broad arc. — Gustave Doré
Several sweeping ranks of winged figures curve across the sky around two distant observers.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Winged figures rise around a luminous upper gathering while a small pair watches from the clouds below. Layered bodies fill nearly the whole field. — Gustave Doré
Winged figures rise around a luminous upper gathering while a small pair watches from the clouds below.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A crowned woman sits with joined hands on a cloud beneath countless angelic heads. Two observers below look towards her across a company of winged figures. — Gustave Doré
A crowned woman sits with joined hands on a cloud beneath countless angelic heads.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A haloed mother holds a child above a crowded base of curling creatures. — Harry Clarke
A haloed mother holds a child above a crowded base of curling creatures.
Faust

A long-haired figure bends beside a candle taller than the small people gathered around its stand. — Harry Clarke
A long-haired figure bends beside a candle taller than the small people gathered around its stand.
Faust

A young man looks outward while a taller pointed-eared companion stands behind him. — Harry Clarke
A young man looks outward while a taller pointed-eared companion stands behind him.
Faust

A crowned, bearded figure is reflected upside down across a horizontal division within a serpent-shaped oval. Interlaced triangles cross the two figures, while curved inscriptions distinguish the upper and lower portions of the design. — Artist not recorded
A crowned, bearded figure is reflected upside down across a horizontal division within a serpent-shaped oval.
Transcendental Magic

Four sharply contrasted bodies join hands across a narrow rectangular field. — Harry Clarke
Four sharply contrasted bodies join hands across a narrow rectangular field.
Faust

Several eyes and faces look outward from a long horizontal creature above the contents. — Harry Clarke
Several eyes and faces look outward from a long horizontal creature above the contents.
Faust

An elongated reclining body extends a hand towards a small standing figure. — Harry Clarke
An elongated reclining body extends a hand towards a small standing figure.
Faust

A six-pointed arrangement of triangles surrounds a human face, an eagle, a bull and a lion. Beneath it are two circular diagrams with radial divisions, inscriptions and symbols. Adonai is printed beside the upper portion, with further lettering below. — Artist not recorded
A six-pointed arrangement of triangles surrounds a human face, an eagle, a bull and a lion.
Transcendental Magic

A horned architectural frame encloses two grotesque figures facing one another above the word Preface. — Harry Clarke
A horned architectural frame encloses two grotesque figures facing one another above the word Preface.
Faust

A tall central figure stands between two semicircular fields of radiating lines. — Harry Clarke
A tall central figure stands between two semicircular fields of radiating lines.
Faust

A broad-robed figure spreads its arms above two pale faces. — Harry Clarke
A broad-robed figure spreads its arms above two pale faces.
Faust

A tailed, narrow-limbed figure leans on a staff before a black circle. — Harry Clarke
A tailed, narrow-limbed figure leans on a staff before a black circle.
Faust

A stretched animal body and an elongated head run diagonally across the page. — Harry Clarke
A stretched animal body and an elongated head run diagonally across the page.
Faust

Seven circular emblems are arranged around a cross-shaped field of lettering. The central circle contains a radiating disk and an encircling serpent; the surrounding wheels contain figures, instruments, animal forms and inscriptions. A two-line caption closes the composition. — Artist not recorded
Seven circular emblems are arranged around a cross-shaped field of lettering.
Transcendental Magic

48 of 223 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca