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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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54 illustrations

A pale seated woman seems almost to dissolve into the background beneath the moon. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A pale seated woman seems almost to dissolve into the background beneath the moon.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

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

Two men watch a distant woman crossing a rough mountainous landscape. — T. H. Thomas
Two men watch a distant woman crossing a rough mountainous landscape.
British Goblins

Two standing poets step carefully through a dense company of figures lying face down. The ledge recedes beside a steep, dark drop. — Gustave Doré
Two standing poets step carefully through a dense company of figures lying face down.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Two robed travellers stand below a steep ledge where a long company of pale figures gathers. — Gustave Doré
Two robed travellers stand below a steep ledge where a long company of pale figures gathers.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A company gathers in a flowered woodland hollow while two robed travellers watch from the side. — Gustave Doré
A company gathers in a flowered woodland hollow while two robed travellers watch from the side.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Thin, lightly clothed figures gather around two standing travellers upon a rocky shelf. — Gustave Doré
Thin, lightly clothed figures gather around two standing travellers upon a rocky shelf.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Several bodies rise or turn within a narrow curling fire, with a robed traveller standing nearby in the dark rocky setting. — Gustave Doré
Several bodies rise or turn within a narrow curling fire, with a robed traveller standing nearby in the dark rocky setting.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A vast winged shape emerges from countless luminous bodies above two small standing observers upon clouds. — Gustave Doré
A vast winged shape emerges from countless luminous bodies above two small standing observers upon clouds.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A crowned figure sits upon a scaled dragon with broad webbed wings and a curling tail. — Illustrator not identified
A crowned figure sits upon a scaled dragon with broad webbed wings and a curling tail.
The Great Book of Magical Art, Hindu Magic and East Indian Occultism

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

Twenty-four round seals complete the main sequence of seventy-two spirits in the Goetia. — Illustrator not identified
Twenty-four round seals complete the main sequence of seventy-two spirits in the Goetia.
The Lesser Key of Solomon: Goetia

A large circular diagram divides named spirits among compass directions, with seasons written near its centre. — Illustrator not identified
A large circular diagram divides named spirits among compass directions, with seasons written near its centre.
The Lesser Key of Solomon: Goetia

An elderly ferryman braces against a long oar in a small boat, its bow rising among churning waves beneath a dark rock wall. — Gustave Doré
An elderly ferryman braces against a long oar in a small boat, its bow rising among churning waves beneath a dark rock wall.
Dante's Inferno

Four circular devices occupy separate compartments beneath handwritten descriptions. — Illustrator not identified
Four circular devices occupy separate compartments beneath handwritten descriptions.
Raphael's Ancient Manuscript of Talismanic Magic

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

Two travellers stand before a scattered gathering of figures beneath a steep wooded cliff. — Gustave Doré
Two travellers stand before a scattered gathering of figures beneath a steep wooded cliff.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A kneeling figure faces a standing robed man while a second traveller waits behind them. — Gustave Doré
A kneeling figure faces a standing robed man while a second traveller waits behind them.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

An emaciated robed figure addresses two travellers while other gaunt people sit behind him. — Gustave Doré
An emaciated robed figure addresses two travellers while other gaunt people sit behind him.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

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

Two robed observers stand among clouds while winged figures sing and move above and beside them. — Gustave Doré
Two robed observers stand among clouds while winged figures sing and move above and beside them.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Three winged spirits spring around a tall flowering stem against an almost empty pale field. — Warwick Goble
Three winged spirits spring around a tall flowering stem against an almost empty pale field.
The Book of Fairy Poetry

A dark winged figure reaches towards a pale fairy floating above mountain slopes. — Warwick Goble
A dark winged figure reaches towards a pale fairy floating above mountain slopes.
The Book of Fairy Poetry

A small circle marks the natural Earth between horizontal bars of different lengths and shades. — Illustrator not identified
A small circle marks the natural Earth between horizontal bars of different lengths and shades.
A Stellar Key to the Summer Land, Part I

Three groups of number squares and line-based seals occupy the page beneath the corresponding planetary signs. — Illustrator not identified
Three groups of number squares and line-based seals occupy the page beneath the corresponding planetary signs.
The Magus; or, Celestial Intelligencer

An open book displays the names Michael, Gabriel, Camael, Raphael, Sachiel, Anael and Cassiel. — Illustrator not identified
An open book displays the names Michael, Gabriel, Camael, Raphael, Sachiel, Anael and Cassiel.
The Magus; or, Celestial Intelligencer

Rows of distinctive sigils combine loops, crossed lines, crowned forms and small fantastic heads. — Illustrator not identified
Rows of distinctive sigils combine loops, crossed lines, crowned forms and small fantastic heads.
The Book of Ceremonial Magic

A white-robed elderly figure appears above a seated courtier on a wooden veranda. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A white-robed elderly figure appears above a seated courtier on a wooden veranda.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

Linked clusters of small circles cross a wide horizontal table. — Illustrator not identified
Linked clusters of small circles cross a wide horizontal table.
The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception

An elongated white-and-blue figure opens into branching sprays of light against a muted background. — Ethelwynne M. Quail
An elongated white-and-blue figure opens into branching sprays of light against a muted background.
The Kingdom of the Gods

Six circular seals contain inscriptions and small symbolic marks. — Illustrator not identified
Six circular seals contain inscriptions and small symbolic marks.
Witchcraft Magic and Alchemy

Three registers show groups of mummiform deities beneath hieroglyphic labels. — Illustrator not identified
Three registers show groups of mummiform deities beneath hieroglyphic labels.
The Egyptian Heaven and Hell

A dark winged figure descends before a brilliant circular opening among clouds, with smaller forms behind and a rounded world below. — D. Bridgman-Metchim
A dark winged figure descends before a brilliant circular opening among clouds, with smaller forms behind and a rounded world below.
Atlantis: The Book of the Angels

Those Whom God Hath Chained for Ever

D. Bridgman-Metchim

Pale monumental figures loom within a dark oval, one broad draped body facing outward while another appears in profile at the side.

Atlantis: The Book of the Angels

Two men stand side by side in a formal photographic portrait. — Photographer not identified
Two men stand side by side in a formal photographic portrait.
A Magician Among the Spirits

Four separate portraits are arranged in a rectangular group. — Photographer not identified
Four separate portraits are arranged in a rectangular group.
A Magician Among the Spirits

An elderly bearded man stands beside Houdini in an outdoor photograph. — Photographer not identified
An elderly bearded man stands beside Houdini in an outdoor photograph.
A Magician Among the Spirits

A seated woman rests her hands beside a small table in a plain photographic setting. — Photographer not identified
A seated woman rests her hands beside a small table in a plain photographic setting.
A Magician Among the Spirits

A rectangular slate is shown with the fittings used to close or secure it. — Photographer not identified
A rectangular slate is shown with the fittings used to close or secure it.
A Magician Among the Spirits

Two standing figures hold writing slates above the head of a seated participant. — Photographer not identified
Two standing figures hold writing slates above the head of a seated participant.
A Magician Among the Spirits

Two men bend towards a small framed surface held between them. — Photographer not identified
Two men bend towards a small framed surface held between them.
A Magician Among the Spirits

Houdini’s portrait appears with additional pale faces or forms in the same photographic field. — Alexander Martin
Houdini’s portrait appears with additional pale faces or forms in the same photographic field.
A Magician Among the Spirits

An older man kneels before three youthful winged visitors beside a timber building. — Illustrator not identified
An older man kneels before three youthful winged visitors beside a timber building.
Watching Spirits

A seated woman bends over her hands while a child lies on the ground nearby. — Illustrator not identified
A seated woman bends over her hands while a child lies on the ground nearby.
Watching Spirits

Three visitors sit together beneath a spreading tree while an older bearded man stands before them. — Illustrator not identified
Three visitors sit together beneath a spreading tree while an older bearded man stands before them.
Watching Spirits

A kneeling woman turns towards a winged messenger above an open book. — Illustrator not identified
A kneeling woman turns towards a winged messenger above an open book.
Watching Spirits

A haloed Christ kneels in a dark wooded setting with his hands lifted in prayer. — Illustrator not identified
A haloed Christ kneels in a dark wooded setting with his hands lifted in prayer.
Watching Spirits

A kneeling woman extends her hands towards a standing Christ beside a tree. — Illustrator not identified
A kneeling woman extends her hands towards a standing Christ beside a tree.
Watching Spirits

48 of 54 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca