Discover historical illustrations by subject, artist and book.
Creation and rebellion in Blake’s illuminated plates.
Norwegian fairy tales illustrated by Kay Nielsen.
Four colour drawings from a 1908 Gnostic text.
From the dark wood to Paradise with Gustave Doré.
Ethelwynne Quail’s visions of the spirit world.
Art Deco studies of fear by John Vassos.
24 illustrations
Seven serpentine heads extend across a garden towards a group of small human figures.
A huge squid extends its arms beside a ship while figures gather along the rail.
An immense serpent curls above rough water beside a sailing ship beneath moonlit clouds.
A huge serpent arches above the water beside a full-rigged ship while a small boat approaches from the opposite side.
A long dark creature passes across the water below a ship’s stern as sailors lean over the rail.
A long coiling creature wraps around a large whale at the water’s surface.
An enormous many-armed creature grips the hull and rigging of a sailing ship beneath a dark, streaked sky.
A broad-bodied cuttlefish appears above two views of a more elongated squid.
An octopus spreads long, curling arms towards two fish near the lower edge of the scene.
A squid’s head rests above a tall support while long arms and tentacles hang down into a circular vessel.
A large squid lies at the surface, its prominent eye surrounded by choppy, densely engraved water.
Coiling bodies occupy the foreground and gather towards the throne, replacing the organised ranks seen in the earlier council with a tangled mass.
A seated man in a dark coat remains relatively still amid an active field of winged monsters, distorted faces and curling bodies.
A curly-haired young face turns upwards beneath a dark clouded background.
A woman in a long gathered dress and pale head covering carries a broad basket beside dark foliage.
A lightly clothed dancer leans backwards above a tightrope while holding an immense patterned parasol.
A young woman with a pale head covering looks anxiously upwards.
A man in a broad dark hat and loose robe turns towards the viewer with a narrow smile.
A woman in a loose pale blouse sits behind a mass of fruit and vegetables beside an old doorway.
A nude woman holds a long broom-like staff while an elderly figure attends to her from behind.
A bare-chested man is bound beneath an enormous descending blade while small rats gather around him.
A broad face with heavy brows and a distorted grin emerges from deep shadow.
A muscular man in a torn loincloth is tied upright beside a dark stone doorway.
Two contrasting scenes show an old man beside a small sparrow and an old woman confronted by monsters.
27 plates
22 plates
4 plates
24 plates
10 plates
10 plates
