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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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609 illustrations

A narrow stair coils upward through a black field scattered with tiny stars. — W. T. Horton
A narrow stair coils upward through a black field scattered with tiny stars.
A Book of Images

Badoura stands in an imagined Chinese garden, surrounded by flowering branches and brightly plumed birds, in Dulac's frontispiece to Housman's Arabian Nights retelling. — Edmund Dulac
Badoura stands in an imagined Chinese garden, surrounded by flowering branches and brightly plumed birds, in Dulac's frontispiece to Housman's Arabian Nights retelling.
Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights

Two slender figures stand at the edge of a broad black curve and look towards a great face in the pale moon. — Aubrey Beardsley
Two slender figures stand at the edge of a broad black curve and look towards a great face in the pale moon.
Salome

A ring of changing moons surrounds a four-part interior containing small symbolic figures. — Edmund Dulac
A ring of changing moons surrounds a four-part interior containing small symbolic figures.
A Vision

A kneeling woman pours water from two vessels, one into a pool and one upon the ground. — Pamela Colman Smith
A kneeling woman pours water from two vessels, one into a pool and one upon the ground.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

Broad layered petals rise from a dark water surface surrounded by leaves. — Artist not recorded
Broad layered petals rise from a dark water surface surrounded by leaves.
Initiation and Its Results

A black-and-white portrait of Paracelsus in a broad hat and dark coat. — A broad dark hat and heavy coat frame Paracelsus’s frontal portrait, with a pendant resting on his chest and a Latin identification below.
Alchemy: Ancient and Modern

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

Sailing boats cross a harbour above two large fish in an engraved symbolic landscape. — Two fish swim in opposite directions beneath a harbour of sailing vessels in Redgrove's Plate 2, captioned as an emblem of body, soul and spirit.
Alchemy: Ancient and Modern

Rows of handwritten names and small magical characters in black ink. — Angelic names, sigils, zodiac signs and planetary symbols are arranged beside the names and characters of Olympic spirits.
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts

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 winged goat-headed figure sits above a globe, with one hand raised and one lowered. — Artist not recorded
Waite reproduces Eliphas Levi's Sabbatic Goat as Plate VI: a winged, goat-headed figure with a torch between its horns, a pentagram on its forehead and opposing hand gestures.
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts

A flowering plant and magical characters inside a diamond within a square border. — A flowering stem occupies a diamond inside a square, with letters and small emblems in the surrounding compartments.
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts

Three seated men raise their arms while bats, owls and grotesque spirits crowd the air above them. — Ernest Griset
Madhusadan returns to the cremation place of Madhuvati, called Sweet Jasmine, carrying a stolen book of life-restoring knowledge.
Vikram and the Vampire

A standing figure raises a wand above a table carrying a cup, blade, staff and pentacle. — Pamela Colman Smith
A standing figure raises a wand above a table carrying a cup, blade, staff and pentacle.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A veiled seated woman occupies the space between a dark and a light pillar, with a crescent near her feet. — Pamela Colman Smith
A veiled seated woman occupies the space between a dark and a light pillar, with a crescent near her feet.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A crowned woman sits beside a shield carrying the sign of Venus while grain and foliage fill the foreground. — Pamela Colman Smith
A crowned woman sits beside a shield carrying the sign of Venus while grain and foliage fill the foreground.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A bearded crowned figure sits upon a severe throne decorated with ram heads, holding a staff and an orb. — Pamela Colman Smith
A bearded crowned figure sits upon a severe throne decorated with ram heads, holding a staff and an orb.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A crowned religious figure sits between two pillars, raising one hand above two kneeling attendants. — Pamela Colman Smith
A crowned religious figure sits between two pillars, raising one hand above two kneeling attendants.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

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

An armoured figure stands within a canopied vehicle above two opposed sphinxes. — Pamela Colman Smith
An armoured figure stands within a canopied vehicle above two opposed sphinxes.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A woman bends towards a lion beneath an infinity sign, her hands placed near its open mouth. — Pamela Colman Smith
A woman bends towards a lion beneath an infinity sign, her hands placed near its open mouth.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

An orange zigzag runs between wavering grey bands in a wide horizontal design. — A narrow orange zigzag struggles for prominence between broad wavering grey bands in this compact horizontal plate.
Thought-Forms

A cloaked elder stands upon a rocky height holding a lantern in one hand and a staff in the other. — Pamela Colman Smith
A cloaked elder stands upon a rocky height holding a lantern in one hand and a staff in the other.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

Orange curved bands and a dark stripe above a rounded brown-red form with a black centre. — Two contrasting forms accompany the authors' account of gamblers at Monte Carlo.
Thought-Forms

A great lettered wheel occupies the centre between winged creatures positioned at the corners. — Pamela Colman Smith
A great lettered wheel occupies the centre between winged creatures positioned at the corners.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A crowned seated figure holds an upright sword and a small balance between two pillars. — Pamela Colman Smith
A crowned seated figure holds an upright sword and a small balance between two pillars.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A man hangs by one foot from a branching wooden support, with the free leg bent across the suspended body. — Pamela Colman Smith
A man hangs by one foot from a branching wooden support, with the free leg bent across the suspended body.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A multicoloured tapered form above a pink and green crescent with a yellow centre, in two numbered panels. — Art appreciation and reunion appear together on this paired plate, although their figure numbers run in reverse order.
Thought-Forms

An armoured skeletal rider advances upon a pale horse carrying a dark banner with a white flower. — Pamela Colman Smith
An armoured skeletal rider advances upon a pale horse carrying a dark banner with a white flower.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A winged figure pours water between two cups while placing one foot upon land and one in a pool. — Pamela Colman Smith
A winged figure pours water between two cups while placing one foot upon land and one in a pool.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A horned winged figure sits above two smaller human forms joined by chains to a pedestal. — Pamela Colman Smith
A horned winged figure sits above two smaller human forms joined by chains to a pedestal.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

Seated figures occupy a wooden interior before a small altar and hanging religious pictures. — Illustrator not identified
Seated figures occupy a wooden interior before a small altar and hanging religious pictures.
Occult Japan; or, The Way of the Gods

A bolt strikes the top of a tall tower as two figures fall towards the lower edges. — Pamela Colman Smith
A bolt strikes the top of a tall tower as two figures fall towards the lower edges.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

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 young child rides a pale horse beneath an immense sun with a human face. — Pamela Colman Smith
A child rides a pale horse beneath an immense sun with a human face.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A winged figure sounds a trumpet above unclothed people rising from open rectangular enclosures. — Pamela Colman Smith
A winged figure sounds a trumpet above unclothed people rising from open rectangular enclosures.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A lightly dressed traveller steps near a rocky edge, holding a flower and a staff with a small bundle. — Pamela Colman Smith
A lightly dressed traveller steps near a rocky edge, holding a flower and a staff with a small bundle.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A draped figure stands within an oval wreath, holding a short wand in each hand. — Pamela Colman Smith
A draped figure stands within an oval wreath, holding a short wand in each hand.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

King of Wands

Pamela Colman Smith

A crowned king sits in profile with a leafy staff, a patterned throne and a small lizard at his feet.

The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A queen faces forward between lion armrests, holding a sunflower and a staff, with a black cat below. — Pamela Colman Smith
A queen faces forward between lion armrests, holding a sunflower and a staff, with a black cat below.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

An armoured rider on a rearing horse carries a leafy wand across a sparse landscape with pyramidal hills. — Pamela Colman Smith
An armoured rider on a rearing horse carries a leafy wand across a sparse landscape with pyramidal hills.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A standing page in a patterned cloak looks upward along a tall staff, with low pyramidal forms behind. — Pamela Colman Smith
A standing page in a patterned cloak looks upward along a tall staff, with low pyramidal forms behind.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A bent figure carries ten bundled leafy staves toward a small settlement on the right. — Pamela Colman Smith
A bent figure carries ten bundled leafy staves toward a small settlement on the right.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A bandaged figure grips one staff in front of eight upright wands arranged like a fence. — Pamela Colman Smith
A bandaged figure grips one staff in front of eight upright wands arranged like a fence.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

Eight parallel leafy wands descend diagonally over a river, fields and a distant house, without a human figure. — Pamela Colman Smith
Eight parallel leafy wands descend diagonally over a river, fields and a distant house, without a human figure.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A figure braces on a rocky height with a staff held across the body as six other wands rise from below. — Pamela Colman Smith
A figure braces on a rocky height with a staff held across the body as six other wands rise from below.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A wreath-crowned rider on a pale horse carries a staff topped by a laurel ring, accompanied by other wand-bearers. — Pamela Colman Smith
A wreath-crowned rider on a pale horse carries a staff topped by a laurel ring, accompanied by other wand-bearers.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

48 of 609 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca