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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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96 illustrations

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 radiant sun shines above a crowned lion, a woman with a flowering branch and a crowned figure. — A radiant sun shines above a crowned lion, a child and a robed figure carrying a flowering branch, beside a fire-headed companion.
Alchemy: Ancient and Modern

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

Two sailors watch a dim red disc on the horizon from the deck of their sloop. — John A. Williams
Olaf and his father notice a persistent dull-red light ahead of their sloop and first take it for a mock sun or mirage.
The Smoky God

Towering sailors in patterned robes look down at two much smaller visitors beside coiled rope. — John A. Williams
A boat from an enormous ship brings six sailors to Olaf Jansen's becalmed sloop near a forested riverbank.
The Smoky God

Two small travellers stand before a towering robed ruler seated on an ornate throne. — John A. Williams
Olaf and his father are received by the Great High Priest, ruler of the inner continent, in a hall described as gold and jewels.
The Smoky God

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 small sailing boat approaches towering walls of ice beneath an overhanging iceberg. — John A. Williams
On the attempted return through the southern opening of Emerson's inner world, Olaf's father warns of an immense white obstruction ahead.
The Smoky God

Two unclothed figures stand beneath a large winged presence and a radiating sun. — Pamela Colman Smith
Two unclothed figures stand beneath a large winged presence and a radiating sun.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

Mazumdar gives the descent of Ganga the stillness of a close portrait. — Khitindra Nath Mazumdar
Mazumdar gives the descent of Ganga the stillness of a close portrait.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

A bat-winged figure descends towards a distant round world through rays of light. — Gustave Doré
The dark wings cut across a luminous atmosphere, directing the eye towards the world beneath them.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

Adam and Eve look towards a bright winged visitor in a shaded woodland. — Gustave Doré
The visitor appears as a bright figure beyond the shaded foreground, while the human pair turn towards the approaching shape.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

Large reptiles occupy a shore beneath a cloud-filled sky and distant birds. — Gustave Doré
The foreground reptiles lie close to the water, their heavy bodies contrasting with the small birds in the sky.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

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

Four rows align principle, cause, effect and ultimate with Tao, God, Creation and Use. — Artist not recorded
Four rows align principle, cause, effect and ultimate with Tao, God, Creation and Use.
The Book of the Simple Way

Seven pairs of circles are connected by a descending and rising path between vertical divisions. — Illustrator not identified
Two groups of lettered circles are linked by dotted routes beneath three lines labelled as formless planes.
Earth: Its Parentage, Its Rounds and Its Races

A branching diagram places the elemental grades beside the mineral, vegetable, animal and human kingdoms. — Illustrator not identified
A central mineral axis meets branching lines for the descent into matter and re-ascent of spirit.
Earth: Its Parentage, Its Rounds and Its Races

A robed figure stands above a vast company of skeletal and partly restored bodies in a rocky hollow. — Gustave Doré
A robed figure stands above a vast company of skeletal and partly restored bodies in a rocky hollow.
The Bible Gallery

Streaks of light cut across a dense dark sky above crowded buildings and a turbulent foreground. — Illustrator not identified
Streaks of light cut across a dense dark sky above crowded buildings and a turbulent foreground.
Atlantis: The Antediluvian World

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 wooded rock formation rises above a stream beneath a low evening light. — Gustave Doré
A wooded rock formation rises above a stream beneath a low evening light.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

A winged figure sits upon a rocky shelf under a densely worked canopy, overlooking a small standing person deeper in the wood. — Gustave Doré
A winged figure sits upon a rocky shelf under a densely worked canopy, overlooking a small standing person deeper in the wood.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

A luminous procession of winged figures crosses a high ridge while two human bodies bend low upon the foreground rock. — Gustave Doré
A luminous procession of winged figures crosses a high ridge while two human bodies bend low upon the foreground rock.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

A sun occupies the centre of a circular arrangement of signs and compartments. — Illustrator not identified
A sun occupies the centre of a circular arrangement of signs and compartments.
Earthology

Three women gather around the thread of life in a reproduction of Paul Thumann’s Three Fates. — Artist not recorded
Three women gather around the thread of life in a reproduction of Paul Thumann’s Three Fates.
Earthology

A crab occupies the centre of a gridded star chart, with a lion to the left and paired human figures towards the upper right. — Illustrator not identified
A crab occupies the centre of a gridded star chart, with a lion to the left and paired human figures towards the upper right.
Earthology

Aries the Ram: Earthology’s Zodiac Illustration

Illustrator not identified

A ram stands in dark profile with the Aries sign marked on its flank.

A bull leaps sideways with its legs lifted and the Taurus glyph placed on its flank. — Illustrator not identified
A bull leaps sideways with its legs lifted and the Taurus glyph placed on its flank.
Earthology

Two human figures sit back to back, each holding a long staff. — Illustrator not identified
Two human figures sit back to back, each holding a long staff.
Earthology

A centaur draws a bow above the forward movement of its horse body. — Illustrator not identified
A centaur draws a bow above the forward movement of its horse body.
Earthology

Two travellers stand within a steep rocky opening while a pale winged figure rises beyond them. — Gustave Doré
Two travellers stand within a steep rocky opening while a pale winged figure rises beyond them.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A seated figure holds a staff beneath a long curved scythe blade. — Illustrator not identified
A seated figure holds a staff beneath a long curved scythe blade.
Earthology

A reclining female figure follows the inner curve of a large crescent moon. — Illustrator not identified
A reclining female figure follows the inner curve of a large crescent moon.
Earthology

A large lunar disc is filled with craters, ridges and broadly shaded regions. — Illustrator not identified
A large lunar disc is filled with craters, ridges and broadly shaded regions.
Earthology

A long line of robed figures passes beside dark trees and low water, their bodies lit against the shadowed wood. — Gustave Doré
A long line of robed figures passes beside dark trees and low water, their bodies lit against the shadowed wood.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Three disembodied heads combine human profiles with sharply extended features, pointed hair and flame-like tufts. — Illustrator not identified
Three disembodied heads combine human profiles with sharply extended features, pointed hair and flame-like tufts.
The Great Book of Magical Art, Hindu Magic and East Indian Occultism

Two richly dressed readers sit close together beside a tall window, a book resting near them as one leans toward the other. — Gustave Doré
Two richly dressed readers sit close together beside a tall window, a book resting near them as one leans toward the other.
Dante's Inferno

A robed guide extends his arm toward a three-headed beast while Dante stands behind him among bodies lying in the wet ground. — Gustave Doré
A robed guide extends his arm toward a three-headed beast while Dante stands behind him among bodies lying in the wet ground.
Dante's Inferno

A large concentric pentacle headed for Saturn and Saturday fills the upper portion of a handwritten page. — Illustrator not identified
A large concentric pentacle headed for Saturn and Saturday fills the upper portion of a handwritten page.
Raphael's Ancient Manuscript of Talismanic Magic

Concentric bands of letters surround the word Schadde, while radial divisions organise the outer circular field. — Illustrator not identified
Concentric bands of letters surround the word Schadde, while radial divisions organise the outer circular field.
The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses

The Earth sits at the centre of twelve radial compartments, with zodiac signs around the outer circle. — Illustrator not identified
The Earth sits at the centre of twelve radial compartments, with zodiac signs around the outer circle.
The Influence of the Stars: A Book of Old World Lore

A dark kneeling traveller looks toward winged figures in the clouds beside a standing woman. — Gustave Doré
A dark kneeling traveller looks toward winged figures in the clouds beside a standing woman.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

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 sower steps across a field scattering small round forms from a basket at his side. — Matthaeus Merian
A sower steps across a field scattering small round forms from a basket at his side.
Atalanta Fugiens

A small traveller stands before an immense curling black rock or tree form. — Kay Nielsen
A small traveller stands before an immense curling black rock or tree form.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A woman bends forward beside a group of children in a domestic interior. — Illustrator not identified
A woman bends forward beside a group of children in a domestic interior.
Witchcraft Illustrated

A broad fireplace occupies the back wall of a low-ceilinged room. — Illustrator not identified
A broad fireplace occupies the back wall of a low-ceilinged room.
Witchcraft Illustrated

A hooded skeleton holds an hourglass and rests a long scythe against its shoulder. — Illustrator not identified
A hooded skeleton holds an hourglass and rests a long scythe against its shoulder.
The Encyclopaedia of Death and Life in the Spirit-World, Volume I

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