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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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105 illustrations

A woman in a green dress stands with a crowned man beside a dark pool beneath overhanging trees. — Edmund Dulac
Two women stand at the edge of a dark pool enclosed by pale stonework and flowering trees.
The Stealers of Light

A young woman in blue, pink and patterned robes moves above banks of golden clouds. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A young woman in blue, pink and patterned robes moves above banks of golden clouds.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

Badoura looks toward the harbour while ruling the Ebony Isles under Camaralzaman's identity. — Edmund Dulac
Badoura looks toward the harbour while ruling the Ebony Isles under Camaralzaman's identity.
Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights

Mounted warriors surge across an open slope with long lances raised. — Willy Pogány
Mounted warriors surge across an open slope with long lances raised.
Parsifal

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

An elderly figure with a long white beard sits with knees raised amid red and gold rays. — William Blake
Urizen sits with knees drawn up and heavy fetters around his ankles, while red and gold rays surround his closed eyes.
The Book of Urizen

A standing figure raises a long implement toward a crowned figure seated on a throne. — A standing figure points a sword towards a crowned ruler seated on a throne.
Alchemy: Ancient and Modern

Figures open a large chest, lifting its rectangular lid in a symbolic engraving. — Two figures lift a long rectangular lid above a chest containing a smaller reclining form.
Alchemy: Ancient and Modern

A richly armoured rider reaches upward towards a princess leaning from a window. — Henry Justice Ford
A richly armoured rider reaches upward towards a princess leaning from a window.
The Yellow Fairy Book

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 great dark-winged figure stands before a luminous opening containing a kneeling woman. — Henry Justice Ford
A great dark-winged figure stands before a luminous opening containing a kneeling woman.
The Yellow Fairy Book

A richly dressed figure recoils beside a fountain while a great face seems to emerge above the water. — Henry Justice Ford
A richly dressed figure recoils beside a fountain while a great face seems to emerge above the water.
The Yellow Fairy Book

A haloed figure in orange, blue and green robes stands above small surrounding figures among clouds and rocky slopes. — Evelyn Paul
A haloed figure in orange, blue and green robes stands above small surrounding figures among clouds and rocky slopes.
Myths and Legends of Japan

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

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 violet spear-shaped form edged in yellow above a luminous golden sphere, on two black panels. — A pointed violet form edged with yellow rises above a radiant golden sphere in this paired plate.
Thought-Forms

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

A long-haired woman stands in a boat at the edge of a moonlit lake, reaching towards a man who raises both hands. — T. H. Thomas
A long-haired woman stands in a boat at the edge of a moonlit lake, reaching towards a man who raises both hands.
British Goblins

A shining ascent crowded with luminous figures rises through immense banks of cloud. — Gustave Doré
A shining ascent crowded with luminous figures rises through immense banks of cloud.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A small upright human figure appears within a tall, pale oval touched with yellow, pink and grey. — Illustrator not identified
A small upright human figure appears within a tall, pale oval touched with yellow, pink and grey.
Man Visible and Invisible

An oval of pink, gold, pale blue and green is surrounded by a brilliant field and outward-projecting rays. — Illustrator not identified
An oval of pink, gold, pale blue and green is surrounded by a brilliant field and outward-projecting rays.
Man Visible and Invisible

A faint upright person stands within an oval of blue, red, green and pale gold. — Illustrator not identified
A faint upright person stands within an oval of blue, red, green and pale gold.
Man Visible and Invisible

Bare figures bend their shoulders and arms against enormous rounded weights as two groups converge across the rough ground. — Gustave Doré
Bare figures bend their shoulders and arms against enormous rounded weights as two groups converge across the rough ground.
Dante's Inferno

A young woman sits amid overflowing baskets and plates of fruit while animal-faced sellers crowd around her. — Warwick Goble
A young woman sits amid overflowing baskets and plates of fruit while animal-faced sellers crowd around her.
The Book of Fairy Poetry

A mermaid sits on a pale bank with long golden hair flowing over her shoulders and tail. — Warwick Goble
A mermaid sits on a pale bank with long golden hair flowing over her shoulders and tail.
The Book of Fairy Poetry

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 young woman stands beside a richly dressed man under patterned hangings. — Kay Nielsen
A young woman stands beside a richly dressed man under patterned hangings.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A dark-robed woman floats within an oval of golden light. — Kay Nielsen
A dark-robed woman floats within an oval of golden light.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Three tall pale figures stand close together beneath diagonal strokes of snow. — Kay Nielsen
Three tall pale figures stand close together beneath diagonal strokes of snow.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Seven planetary signs sit at the ends of three curved branches and a central upright stem. — Illustrator not identified
Seven planetary signs sit at the ends of three curved branches and a central upright stem.
Cosmic Symbolism

A worker extends a tool into a blazing hearth while a vessel of round objects rests on a stand nearby. — Matthaeus Merian
A worker extends a tool into a blazing hearth while a vessel of round objects rests on a stand nearby.
Atalanta Fugiens

A small armed figure emerges above the head of a reclining bearded man as another raises a hammer. — Matthaeus Merian
A small armed figure emerges above the head of a reclining bearded man as another raises a hammer.
Atalanta Fugiens

A large dark crucifix occupies the centre of four lighter crosses with figures, lettering and decorative surfaces. — Illustrator not identified
A large dark crucifix occupies the centre of four lighter crosses with figures, lettering and decorative surfaces.
Amulets and Superstitions

A warrior with an elaborate gold-and-black helmet rests against a tree above a moonlit lake. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A warrior with an elaborate gold-and-black helmet rests against a tree above a moonlit lake.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A pale standing figure rises above a dark fallen warrior within a symmetrical ornamental design. — Willy Pogány
A pale standing figure rises above a dark fallen warrior within a symmetrical ornamental design.
The Tale of Lohengrin

Golden-orange forms radiate like overlapping petals around a dark central opening. — Illustrator not identified
Golden-orange forms radiate like overlapping petals around a dark central opening.
The Chakras

A small golden rosette occupies the centre of a much larger circular field. — Illustrator not identified
A small golden rosette occupies the centre of a much larger circular field.
The Chakras

A square temple-like enclosure lies within a broad circular field above a mountain landscape. — Illustrator not identified
A square temple-like enclosure lies within a broad circular field above a mountain landscape.
The Secret of the Golden Flower

A serene seated figure rests on a layered lotus pedestal against a deep blue ground. — Photographer not identified
A serene seated figure rests on a layered lotus pedestal against a deep blue ground.
The Gods of Northern Buddhism

An armoured knight bends towards a great white swan beneath a curtain of slender trees. — Willy Pogány
An armoured knight bends towards a great white swan beneath a curtain of slender trees.
The Tale of Lohengrin

A red female figure raises one hand within a ring of gold flames while teachers and protective figures occupy the surrounding blue field. — Illustrator not identified
A red female figure raises one hand within a ring of gold flames while teachers and protective figures occupy the surrounding blue field.
The Gods of Northern Buddhism

Small painted divinities interrupt lines of gold script upon two long dark manuscript panels. — Illustrator not identified
Small painted divinities interrupt lines of gold script upon two long dark manuscript panels.
The Gods of Northern Buddhism

A reclining woman and a small group of grotesque attendants occupy the foot of an immense golden field. — Willy Pogány
A reclining woman and a small group of grotesque attendants occupy the foot of an immense golden field.
Parsifal

A dark-robed figure stands before a golden brazier while a pale woman waits behind him. — Willy Pogány
A dark-robed figure stands before a golden brazier while a pale woman waits behind him.
Parsifal

Gold curves and star-shaped settings surround a large oval blue sapphire with a pale central star. — Photographer not identified
Gold curves and star-shaped settings surround a large oval blue sapphire with a pale central star.
The Magic of Jewels and Charms

A white central form expands into blue, pink and gold rays beneath a star-like crown. — H. K. Challoner
A white central form expands into blue, pink and gold rays beneath a star-like crown.
Watchers of the Seven Spheres

A pale pink and gold figure towers over a low hill and small temple-like structure. — H. K. Challoner
A pale pink and gold figure towers over a low hill and small temple-like structure.
Watchers of the Seven Spheres

48 of 105 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca