Skip to content

Home Library Gallery Codex Practices Tetra Search Community

Loading Lumitheca…

About Help & FAQ Contact Privacy & cookiesTerms Community guidelines

Gallery

Discover historical illustrations by subject, artist and book.

Visual journeys

View all journeys →

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.

Browse illustrations

Search illustrations

Filter & explore

Subject

Artist

Source book

Order

72 illustrations

An armoured monkey hero lifts a long red staff across an immense pale moon. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
An armoured monkey hero lifts a long red staff across an immense pale moon.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

Tiny winged beings and small animals gather beneath a twisted tree. — Warwick Goble
Tiny winged beings and small animals gather beneath a twisted tree.
The Book of Fairy Poetry

Three vertical columns of geometric and calligraphic magical characters. — Twenty-seven numbered signs move from lines and letter-like forms to fire, water, animals and bodily emblems.
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts

Elephants move through a sunlit forest, one enormous animal dominating the foreground. — John A. Williams
During their tour of the inner continent, the travellers encounter a vast herd of elephants tearing branches from giant trees.
The Smoky God

A crowned young man extends his hands above a great fish dropping towards the water. — Henry Justice Ford
A crowned young man extends his hands above a great fish dropping towards the water.
The Yellow Fairy Book

A man drives a team of horses across a field while another approaches holding a hatchet. — Henry Justice Ford
A man drives a team of horses across a field while another approaches holding a hatchet.
The Yellow Fairy Book

A moon with a human face hangs above two towers, two animals and a small creature rising from water. — Pamela Colman Smith
A moon with a human face hangs above two towers, two animals and a small creature rising from water.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A vast sea creature arches between rocky outcrops and spouts water. — Gustave Doré
The creature’s body stretches across the sea like a ridge of land, with its spout rising against the cloudy sky.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

A woman falls from a high opening while riders, raised weapons and animals gather beneath the wall. — Gustave Doré
A woman falls from a high opening while riders, raised weapons and animals gather beneath the wall.
The Bible Gallery

A pale standing figure occupies a rocky enclosure among several great cats while a shaft of light enters from above. — Gustave Doré
A pale standing figure occupies a rocky enclosure among several great cats while a shaft of light enters from above.
The Bible Gallery

A mother and child rest low in a stable while an elderly man and visiting figures gather around them. — Gustave Doré
A mother and child rest low in a stable while an elderly man and visiting figures gather around them.
The Bible Gallery

A frontal child stands upon two crocodiles and grasps long serpents and smaller animals. — K. Watkins (reproduction)
A frontal child stands upon two crocodiles and grasps long serpents and smaller animals.
The Origin and Evolution of Freemasonry

A large outlined bull-like animal sits below smaller celestial designs, while a star-covered cow occupies the upper field. — Illustrator not identified
A large outlined bull-like animal sits below smaller celestial designs, while a star-covered cow occupies the upper field.
Migration of Symbols

A central panel names Tractatus de Fascinatione, its author Christian Frommann and the year 1674. — Illustrator not identified
A central panel names Tractatus de Fascinatione, its author Christian Frommann and the year 1674.
The Evil Eye

A frontal child figure stands above crocodiles on a rounded-top relief filled with animals and carved signs. — Artist not recorded
A frontal child figure stands above crocodiles on a rounded-top relief filled with animals and carved signs.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

A woman holding a tall water vessel faces a kneeling elder beside stone steps. — Gustave Doré
A woman holding a tall water vessel faces a kneeling elder beside stone steps.
The Bible Gallery

People and animals struggle among deep openings and fractured blocks of earth below a distant hill. — Illustrator not identified
People and animals struggle among deep openings and fractured blocks of earth below a distant hill.
Atlantis: The Antediluvian World

A standing shepherd carries a vessel above his shoulder beside a low stone structure. — Gustave Doré
A standing shepherd carries a vessel above his shoulder beside a low stone structure.
The Bible Gallery

Workers and animals pull massive timber through a wooded ravine while tree trunks rise into the dark canopy. — Gustave Doré
Workers and animals pull massive timber through a wooded ravine while tree trunks rise into the dark canopy.
The Bible Gallery

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

Birds, grazing animals and small creatures inhabit a lush valley beneath an opening of bright cloud. — Gustave Doré
Birds, grazing animals and small creatures inhabit a lush valley beneath an opening of bright cloud.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

People and pack animals gather beside a high stone wall and the dark entrance of Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate. — Illustrator not identified
People and pack animals gather beside a high stone wall and the dark entrance of Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate.
God, the Bible, Truth and Christian Theology

Decorated elephants carry seated figures above a dense gathering. — Illustrator not identified
Decorated elephants carry seated figures above a dense gathering.
The Great Book of Magical Art, Hindu Magic and East Indian Occultism

An armoured archer stretches a bow from a chariot beside a lion, with horses, weapons and crowded figures filling the lower field. — Evelyn Paul
An armoured archer stretches a bow from a chariot beside a lion, with horses, weapons and crowded figures filling the lower field.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

A circular track and radiating lines pass among figures, animals and named stars on an illustrated constellation map. — C. Piazzi Smyth
A circular track and radiating lines pass among figures, animals and named stars on an illustrated constellation map.
The Story of the Heavens

Cattle and herders move through two surviving horizontal registers, with red, black and pale animals alternating across the painted fragment. — Artist not recorded
Cattle and herders move through two surviving horizontal registers, with red, black and pale animals alternating across the painted fragment.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

Flames and curling smoke rise among a densely packed city’s towers and roofs. — Illustrator not identified
Flames and curling smoke rise among a densely packed city’s towers and roofs.
The Old Book of Magic

A woman whose broad body takes the form of a globe holds a small child at her breast. — Matthaeus Merian
A woman whose broad body takes the form of a globe holds a small child at her breast.
Atalanta Fugiens

A stag with branching antlers faces a unicorn beneath the trees. — Illustrator not identified
A stag with branching antlers faces a unicorn beneath the trees.
The Occult Review, Volume VIII

Two canine animals face one another beside a tree, with a river and town beyond. — Illustrator not identified
Two canine animals face one another beside a tree, with a river and town beyond.
The Occult Review, Volume VIII

A winged lioness leans across a standing lion with their bodies tightly joined. — Matthaeus Merian
A winged lioness leans across a standing lion with their bodies tightly joined.
Atalanta Fugiens

Small animals range from cattle and birds to larger lion-like and horned forms. — Illustrator not identified
Small animals range from cattle and birds to larger lion-like and horned forms.
Oahspe: A New Bible

A dark central panel sits inside a web of crossed lines and concentric rings of small symbols. — Illustrator not identified
A dark central panel sits inside a web of crossed lines and concentric rings of small symbols.
Oahspe: A New Bible

Several rectangular impressions show small standing figures, animals and seated deities in horizontal scenes. — Illustrator not identified
Several rectangular impressions show small standing figures, animals and seated deities in horizontal scenes.
Amulets and Superstitions

A standing human figure is surrounded by animals and symbolic figures associated with the zodiac. — Illustrator not identified
A standing human figure is surrounded by animals and symbolic figures associated with the zodiac.
The Aquarian Age

A muscular child with dark hair and a checked sash bends towards a monkey and a white rabbit. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A muscular child with dark hair and a checked sash bends towards a monkey and a white rabbit.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A standing human outline contains a sequence of animals and figures associated with the zodiac. — Illustrator not identified
A standing human outline contains a sequence of animals and figures associated with the zodiac.
The Philosophy of Natural Magic

A pale fox folds its body into a rounded resting pose within a nest-like hollow. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A pale fox folds its body into a rounded resting pose within a nest-like hollow.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A crowned figure plays a flute while additional arms hold objects beside the body. — Illustrator not identified
A crowned figure plays a flute while additional arms hold objects beside the body.
Man the Grand Symbol of the Mysteries

Human and hybrid figures grapple with animals across a narrow horizontal relief. — Illustrator not identified
Human and hybrid figures grapple with animals across a narrow horizontal relief.
The Chaldean Account of Genesis

Four long registers combine figures, cultivation, animals, boats and bands of hieroglyphs, separated by wavy boundaries. — Illustrator not identified
Four long registers combine figures, cultivation, animals, boats and bands of hieroglyphs, separated by wavy boundaries.
The Book of the Dead

A frontal face projects from a rounded rocky surround, with deeply modelled eyes, ears and brow. — Artist not recorded
A frontal face projects from a rounded rocky surround, with deeply modelled eyes, ears and brow.
The Phoenician Origin of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons

A central seed syllable lies within a circular field enclosed by four dark petals. — Illustrator not identified
A central seed syllable lies within a circular field enclosed by four dark petals.
The Serpent Power

A numbered group of seal designs compares bulls, an elephant, other horned animals and short inscriptions. — Illustrator not identified
A numbered group of seal designs compares bulls, an elephant, other horned animals and short inscriptions.
The Indo-Sumerian Seals Deciphered

Three crowned riders travel upon fantastic animals above a cloudy landscape. — Illustrator not identified
Three crowned riders travel upon fantastic animals above a cloudy landscape.
Witchcraft Magic and Alchemy

Long curved tusks and a shaggy body outline form the image of a mammoth on an irregular engraved fragment. — Illustrator not identified
Long curved tusks and a shaggy body outline form the image of a mammoth on an irregular engraved fragment.
Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel

Small figures and wild animals appear at different points along a steep, winding rocky path. — Artist not recorded
Small figures and wild animals appear at different points along a steep, winding rocky path.
A Walk in Other Worlds with Dante

Dante and Beatrice appear twice beneath a radiant sun and a band of zodiac animals: below among clouds, then above within a field of flame. — Artist not recorded
Dante and Beatrice appear twice beneath a radiant sun and a band of zodiac animals: below among clouds, then above within a field of flame.
A Walk in Other Worlds with Dante

48 of 72 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca