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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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68 illustrations

Two robed men stand within a ritual circle before a pale figure in a moonlit churchyard. — Edward Kelley and a companion stand inside a ritual circle while a shrouded figure appears in a moonlit churchyard.
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts

A pointed blue form above a pale radiating fan of light on two black panels. — A sharply pointed blue form is paired with a broad fan of light spreading from a blue base.
Thought-Forms

A green serpentine form above a brownish cloud projecting red lightning-like points, in two numbered panels. — Two contrasting shapes give jealousy a watchful and an angry form in Besant and Leadbeater's visual vocabulary.
Thought-Forms

A rose leaf-like form traced with green above a six-armed star of red, green, yellow and blue. — A leaf-like form and a six-armed star illustrate attempts to direct benevolent thought beyond a single person.
Thought-Forms

Yellow interlaced triangles inside a radiant circle above a blue five-pointed star surrounded by golden rays. — Interlaced triangles and a five-pointed star give two different conceptions of divine order a geometric form.
Thought-Forms

Flame and architecture frame Hanuman’s swift movement through Lanka. — K. Venkatappa
Flame and architecture frame Hanuman’s swift movement through Lanka.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

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 winged figure watches a lush garden from a shaded height among great trees. — Gustave Doré
The winged observer stands at the right beneath spreading branches, looking towards the garden below.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

A tall central figure stands between two semicircular fields of radiating lines. — Harry Clarke
A tall central figure stands between two semicircular fields of radiating lines.
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 rider is caught beneath the branches of a large tree as another armed figure approaches below. — Gustave Doré
A rider is caught beneath the branches of a large tree as another armed figure approaches below.
The Bible Gallery

A vertical arrangement of circular emblems combines human figures, stars and Hebrew lettering. — Illustrator not identified
Seven circular emblems surround a central field of Greek and Hebrew lettering.
The History of Magic

A fierce face with a projecting tongue fills the upper half of the orange-red plate. — Illustrator not identified
A fierce face with a projecting tongue fills the upper half of the orange-red plate.
The Evil Eye

A veiled female figure faces forward against a dark rectangular field, with pale drapery spreading around the head and shoulders. — Photographer not identified
A veiled female figure faces forward against a dark rectangular field, with pale drapery spreading around the head and shoulders.
Talks with the Dead

A seated man leans towards a reclining woman beneath a spreading tree. — Gustave Doré
A seated man leans towards a reclining woman beneath a spreading tree.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

Several small drawings compare the shape and movement of the thumb. — Illustrator not identified
Several small drawings compare the shape and movement of the thumb.
Cheiro’s Language of the Hand

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

A winged, bearded figure with raised weapons confronts a lion-headed winged creature. — Illustrator not identified
A winged, bearded figure with raised weapons confronts a lion-headed winged creature.
God, the Bible, Truth and Christian Theology

A crowned rider reaches towards the neck of a pale horse as cloud-like forms gather around the animal's legs. — Abanindro Nath Tagore
A crowned rider reaches towards the neck of a pale horse as cloud-like forms gather around the animal's legs.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

A spotted cat crouches between rocks while Dante draws back on the higher ground; a distant landscape opens beyond the obstruction. — Gustave Doré
A spotted cat crouches between rocks while Dante draws back on the higher ground; a distant landscape opens beyond the obstruction.
Dante's Inferno

Two robed figures stand close together under spreading branches, with a pale strip of distant sky visible beyond them. — Gustave Doré
Two robed figures stand close together under spreading branches, with a pale strip of distant sky visible beyond them.
Dante's Inferno

Two small travellers proceed into a deep wooded corridor between rough trunks and pale exposed roots. — Gustave Doré
Two small travellers proceed into a deep wooded corridor between rough trunks and pale exposed roots.
Dante's Inferno

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 seated Osiris faces a royal figure accompanied by the falcon-headed Horus, with a standing goddess at the opposite side. — Illustrator not identified
A seated Osiris faces a royal figure accompanied by the falcon-headed Horus, with a standing goddess at the opposite side.
The Obelisk and Freemasonry

A crowned, many-armed Indra sits on an elaborately dressed elephant beneath spreading trees. — Illustrator not identified
A crowned, many-armed Indra sits on an elaborately dressed elephant beneath spreading trees.
The Occult Review, Volume VII

Robert Burns wears a high collar and a loosely gathered neckcloth in a small printed portrait. — Illustrator not identified
Robert Burns wears a high collar and a loosely gathered neckcloth in a small printed portrait.
How to Read Faces, or Practical Physiognomy Made Easy

A great dark wave rises in a smooth arc above a small cluster of buildings. — W. T. Horton
A great dark wave rises in a smooth arc above a small cluster of buildings.
A Book of Images

Alfred Smedley turns slightly to one side, his long white beard spreading over a dark jacket. — Photographer not identified
Alfred Smedley turns slightly to one side, his long white beard spreading over a dark jacket.
Some Reminiscences

Names and planetary symbols cover a large open palm. — Illustrator not identified
Names and planetary symbols cover a large open palm.
A Manual of Cheirosophy

Nine small diagrams compare spots, sister lines, forked endings and tangled endings. — Illustrator not identified
Nine small diagrams compare spots, sister lines, forked endings and tangled endings.
A Manual of Cheirosophy

A traveller holds a lamp while following a woman across a dark landscape. — Matthaeus Merian
A traveller holds a lamp while following a woman across a dark landscape.
Atalanta Fugiens

Two fantastic heads are stacked vertically, their beards and hair spreading into long sweeping points. — Francis Barrett (design); R. Griffith (engraving)
Two fantastic heads are stacked vertically, their beards and hair spreading into long sweeping points.
The Magus; or, Celestial Intelligencer

Lippincott’s for April by Will Carqueville

Will Carqueville

Two closely aligned profile heads face an open magazine with a printed contents page.

The Modern Poster

An armoured rider pauses beneath a spreading tree above a fallen knight. — Willy Pogány
An armoured rider pauses beneath a spreading tree above a fallen knight.
Parsifal

Animal outlines, serpentine forms and small human figures fill a comparative plate of marks. — Illustrator not identified
Animal outlines and serpentine forms fill Plate II, accompanied by small human figures and letter-like devices.
Francis Bacon and His Secret Society

A long-bearded figure holds a lion close against his body while a curved implement hangs from the other hand. — Illustrator not identified
A long-bearded figure holds a lion close against his body while a curved implement hangs from the other hand.
The Chaldean Account of Genesis

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

Three views record different surfaces of a single elongated inscribed monument. — Illustrator not identified
Three views record different surfaces of a single elongated inscribed monument.
The Phoenician Origin of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons

An irregular stone bears a circular sign, paired coils, angular devices and linked discs. — Illustrator not identified
An irregular stone bears a circular sign, paired coils, angular devices and linked discs.
The Phoenician Origin of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons

Compact geometric and figurative marks fill three horizontal compartments on a rectangular tablet. — Illustrator not identified
Compact geometric and figurative marks fill three horizontal compartments on a rectangular tablet.
The Phoenician Origin of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons

A bow-bearing figure occupies the left side of an irregular fragment beside a large wheel-like field of intersecting lines. — Illustrator not identified
A bow-bearing figure occupies the left side of an irregular fragment beside a large wheel-like field of intersecting lines.
The Indo-Sumerian Seals Deciphered

Standing worshippers face an elevated seated figure beside a small fire in a shaded outdoor setting. — Illustrator not identified
Standing worshippers face an elevated seated figure beside a small fire in a shaded outdoor setting.
The Indo-Sumerian Seals Deciphered

Figures, signs and circular forms occupy bordered compartments in a tall manuscript reproduction. — Illustrator not identified
Figures, signs and circular forms occupy bordered compartments in a tall manuscript reproduction.
The Lost Continent of Mu

A seated, reclining man occupies the lower left of a verse border, facing a vessel whose smoke rises into a crowded field of small faces. — Illustrator not identified
A seated, reclining man occupies the lower left of a verse border, facing a vessel whose smoke rises into a crowded field of small faces.
The Crucible of Dreams

A pale blue face beneath a small cross is surrounded by a broad yellow field and sweeping wings. — Unnamed woman, 1908 (source foreword)
A small cross hovers over a pale blue face, with fine blue lines spreading into the yellow space around it.
The Esoteric Teaching of the Gnostics

A winged Saint Michael raises a long weapon while pressing a foot upon a fallen adversary. — Guido Reni (painting); Anderson
A winged Saint Michael raises a long weapon while pressing a foot upon a fallen adversary.
Sun Lore of All Ages: A Collection of Myths and Legends Concerning the Sun and Its Worship

A woman and two children gather beside a grave beneath the spreading branches of a tree. — Illustrator not identified
A woman and two children gather beside a grave beneath the spreading branches of a tree.
The Odd-Fellows' Offering for 1852

An older seated woman attends to a child while several family members gather around them. — Illustrator not identified
An older seated woman attends to a child while several family members gather around them.
The Odd-Fellows' Offering for 1852

48 of 68 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca