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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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188 illustrations

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

A crowned king holds a large white duck against his chest. — Henry Justice Ford
A crowned king holds a large white duck against his chest.
The Yellow Fairy Book

A narrow inscribed tablet occupies a recessed shrine surrounded by decorated pillars and hanging ornament. — Maker or photographer not identified
A narrow inscribed tablet occupies a recessed shrine surrounded by decorated pillars and hanging ornament.
The Chinese Dragon

A dragon fills a square textile panel above waves and dense ornamental patterns. — Maker or photographer not identified
A dragon fills a square textile panel above waves and dense ornamental patterns.
The Chinese Dragon

A long dragon coils inside a circular field of clouds, waves and repeated ornament. — Maker or photographer not identified
A long dragon coils inside a circular field of clouds, waves and repeated ornament.
The Chinese Dragon

A slender carved column rises above a balustraded platform beneath a projecting ornamental capital. — Maker or photographer not identified
A slender carved column rises above a balustraded platform beneath a projecting ornamental capital.
The Chinese Dragon

Garuda combines a powerful human-shaped body with a bird’s beak and extravagantly patterned wings. — Nanda Lal Bose
Garuda combines a powerful human-shaped body with a bird’s beak and extravagantly patterned wings.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

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

An armoured rider on a rearing horse carries a leafy wand across a sparse landscape with pyramidal hills. — Pamela Colman Smith
An armoured rider on a rearing horse carries a leafy wand across a sparse landscape with pyramidal hills.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

Small figures cluster within a compact woodland ornament beneath the contents list. — T. H. Thomas
Small figures cluster within a compact woodland ornament beneath the contents list.
British Goblins

Kar’s Kali emerges from darkness through the outlines of her arms, her face and the warm accents of ornaments and clothing. — Surendra Nath Kar
Kar’s Kali emerges from darkness through the outlines of her arms, her face and the warm accents of ornaments and clothing.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

A hand from a cloud supports a cup beneath a descending dove, with streams falling into lily-covered water. — Pamela Colman Smith
A hand from a cloud supports a cup beneath a descending dove, with streams falling into lily-covered water.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

Queen of Swords

Pamela Colman Smith

A crowned queen sits in profile with one hand extended and an upright sword beside her patterned throne.

The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

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

A craft worker stands on a bench beneath a vaulted arch while two other figures look upward toward the work. — Pamela Colman Smith
A craft worker stands on a bench beneath a vaulted arch while two other figures look upward toward the work.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

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

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

A four-armed figure stands on an oval base between a horned animal and a striped feline. Bow, arrow, blade and a small vessel occupy its hands. The body combines different garments and ornaments, with a dotted circle behind the head and a caption on the base. — Artist not recorded
A four-armed figure stands on an oval base between a horned animal and a striped feline.
Transcendental Magic

An elaborate lamp carries a triangular crown of flames and branching side lights above a decorated base. A sword and a long pointed rod flank it, with crescent forms near their lower ends. A star and linked signs ornament the central vessel. — Artist not recorded
An elaborate lamp carries a triangular crown of flames and branching side lights above a decorated base.
Transcendental Magic

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

A long patterned creature curves over a smaller bowed figure, crossing the body in a loop. — Harry Clarke
A long patterned creature curves over a smaller bowed figure, crossing the body in a loop.
Faust

A young woman appears within a spreading patterned garment, with a curved object to the right and flowing ornaments along the base. — Harry Clarke
A young woman appears within a spreading patterned garment, with a curved object to the right and flowing ornaments along the base.
Faust

A cloaked figure lies face down beneath an enormous curved blade. — Harry Clarke
A cloaked figure lies face down beneath an enormous curved blade.
Faust

A narrow human face appears within a tall curling body above the word END. — Harry Clarke
A narrow human face appears within a tall curling body above the word END.
Faust

Curling leaves and shell-like forms surround an oval central shield with vertical hatching. — Artist not recorded
Curling leaves and shell-like forms surround an oval central shield with vertical hatching.
Stanzas of Dzyan Theogenesis

Scales hang within a decorated arch above an open landscape. — Illustrator not identified
Scales hang within a decorated arch above an open landscape.
Morals and Dogma

Six numbered designs range from a wide Egyptian winged disc to more compact combinations of wings, globes and linked ornament. — Illustrator not identified
Six numbered designs range from a wide Egyptian winged disc to more compact combinations of wings, globes and linked ornament.
Migration of Symbols

Paired loops and angular forms occupy the upper part of the plate, while simpler rings and connecting lines are arranged below. — Illustrator not identified
Paired loops and angular forms occupy the upper part of the plate, while simpler rings and connecting lines are arranged below.
Migration of Symbols

Round, rectangular and paired ornaments share spirals, concentric rings and curled ends. — Illustrator not identified
Round, rectangular and paired ornaments share spirals, concentric rings and curled ends.
Migration of Symbols

A standing chief wears an immense feathered headdress with curved horns and carries a spear hung with further ornaments. — Artist not recorded
A standing chief wears an immense feathered headdress with curved horns and carries a spear hung with further ornaments.
The Evil Eye

Metal plates, projecting ornaments and small pendants crowd a photographed arrangement of horse harness. — Illustrator not identified
Metal plates, projecting ornaments and small pendants crowd a photographed arrangement of horse harness.
The Evil Eye

A small hand, a larger upright hand, curved horns and animal-shaped ornaments appear in two rows against a black field. — Illustrator not identified
A small hand, a larger upright hand, curved horns and animal-shaped ornaments appear in two rows against a black field.
The Evil Eye

The name Rizzio dominates a framed design with French phrases and thistle-like corner ornaments. — Illustrator not identified
The name Rizzio dominates a framed design with French phrases and thistle-like corner ornaments.
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts

A dark standing image occupies a narrow doorway framed by carved borders and small surrounding figures. — Photographer not identified
A dark standing image occupies a narrow doorway framed by carved borders and small surrounding figures.
The Sun and the Serpent

A slender standing figure raises one hand beneath a tall head ornament. — Artist not recorded
A slender standing figure raises one hand beneath a tall head ornament.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

Two exceptionally tall parallel plumes rise above a standing figure whose arm bends forward. — Artist not recorded
Two exceptionally tall parallel plumes rise above a standing figure whose arm bends forward.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

A seated royal figure appears beneath a radiating disc on a broken-topped slab. — Artist not recorded
A seated royal figure appears beneath a radiating disc on a broken-topped slab.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

An elephant-headed seated figure occupies an ornamental pedestal beneath a radiant oval sacred sign. — Illustrator not identified
An elephant-headed seated figure occupies an ornamental pedestal beneath a radiant oval sacred sign.
Ancient Symbol Worship: Influence of the Phallic Idea in the Religions of Antiquity

Seated figures face a central linga-yoni upon an ornamented platform, with curling animal forms extending at the sides. — Illustrator not identified
Seated figures face a central linga-yoni upon an ornamented platform, with curling animal forms extending at the sides.
Ancient Symbol Worship: Influence of the Phallic Idea in the Religions of Antiquity

A rounded vessel with a broad open rim is covered in narrow bands of repeated geometric ornament. — Illustrator not identified
A rounded vessel with a broad open rim is covered in narrow bands of repeated geometric ornament.
Atlantis: The Antediluvian World

A labelled group includes an Irish mould for casting bronze celts, a sickle, a chisel, small rings, a cauldron and a vessel. — Illustrator not identified
A labelled group includes an Irish mould for casting bronze celts, a sickle, a chisel, small rings, a cauldron and a vessel.
Atlantis: The Antediluvian World

Twelve numbered zodiac designs combine animals, figures and objects with polished gem settings. — William Thomas Pavitt (signed illustration)
Twelve numbered zodiac designs combine animals, figures and objects with polished gem settings.
The Book of Talismans, Amulets and Zodiacal Gems

A seated practitioner faces a small table bearing a crystal within a circular diagram. — Illustrator not identified
A seated practitioner faces a small table bearing a crystal within a circular diagram.
Crystal-Gazing and Spiritual Clairvoyance

A large hexagram encloses the name Michael beneath a Hebrew inscription. — Illustrator not identified
A large hexagram encloses the name Michael beneath a Hebrew inscription.
Crystal-Gazing and Spiritual Clairvoyance

Three labelled implements occupy a comparative page: a mounted crystal, an inscribed hexagram pentacle and a long dark wand. — Illustrator not identified
Three labelled implements occupy a comparative page: a mounted crystal, an inscribed hexagram pentacle and a long dark wand.
Crystal-Gazing and Spiritual Clairvoyance

A circular boundary encloses four hexagrams around an open centre. — Illustrator not identified
A circular boundary encloses four hexagrams around an open centre.
Crystal-Gazing and Spiritual Clairvoyance

Two elongated figures mirror one another beneath the author’s name. — Illustrator not identified
Two elongated figures mirror one another beneath the author’s name.
God, the Bible, Truth and Christian Theology

48 of 188 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca