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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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59 illustrations

Evelyn Paul shows Yorimasa drawing his bow toward the roof of the imperial palace during a violent night storm. — Evelyn Paul
Evelyn Paul shows Yorimasa drawing his bow toward the roof of the imperial palace during a violent night storm.
Myths and Legends of Japan

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

A pale figure stretches both arms across a dark blue and black illuminated page. — William Blake
The raised hands, streaming beard and bent legs of the white-haired figure are crossed by dark horizontal bands.
The Book of Urizen

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

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

An immense eagle carries a cloaked figure through a bright region of cloud. Spread feathers and the traveller’s bent limbs create a diagonal ascent. — Gustave Doré
An immense eagle carries a cloaked figure through a bright region of cloud.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A woman with a spider’s many legs lies amid a rocky scene while the two poets look down. Human limbs and the transformed body crowd the foreground. — Gustave Doré
A woman with a spider’s many legs lies amid a rocky scene while the two poets look down.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A young man with a sword turns towards a woman holding a hanging vessel. — Harry Clarke
A young man with a sword turns towards a woman holding a hanging vessel.
Faust

A narrow human face appears within a tall curling body above the word END. — Harry Clarke
A narrow human face appears within a tall curling body above the word END.
Faust

A great lion sits above a body beside a donkey and a distant traveller on a narrow path. — Gustave Doré
A great lion sits above a body beside a donkey and a distant traveller on a narrow path.
The Bible Gallery

A two-headed figure labelled REBIS stands on a dragon above a winged globe containing geometric lines. — Illustrator not identified
A two-headed figure labelled REBIS stands on a dragon above a winged globe containing geometric lines.
Morals and Dogma

A hooded figure stands alone against a pale, open horizon with a long staff held beside the body. — Gustave Doré
A hooded figure stands alone against a pale, open horizon with a long staff held beside the body.
The Bible Gallery

A fish-clad standing figure appears beside an oval enclosing a smaller upright form. — Illustrator not identified
A fish-clad standing figure appears beside an oval enclosing a smaller upright form.
The Origin and Evolution of Freemasonry

A solitary kneeling woman rests against a great rock face above a distant landscape, her long hair and pale garment distinct against the stone. — Gustave Doré
A solitary kneeling woman rests against a great rock face above a distant landscape, her long hair and pale garment distinct against the stone.
The Bible Gallery

Several men carry a lowered body into a rocky opening while a veiled woman and other companions stand near the entrance. — Gustave Doré
Several men carry a lowered body into a rocky opening while a veiled woman and other companions stand near the entrance.
The Bible Gallery

A luminous standing figure rises above a group of robed followers gathered on a hillside. — Gustave Doré
A luminous standing figure rises above a group of robed followers gathered on a hillside.
The Bible Gallery

A mass of winged bodies tumbles along a steep diagonal through cloud and darkness. — Gustave Doré
A mass of winged bodies tumbles along a steep diagonal through cloud and darkness.
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré

A recumbent armoured body lies beside surging water beneath a black storm front. — Gustave Doré
A recumbent armoured body lies beside surging water beneath a black storm front.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

A centaur draws a bow above the forward movement of its horse body. — Illustrator not identified
A centaur draws a bow above the forward movement of its horse body.
Earthology

An immense ibis-headed figure raises its arms above a small recumbent man in a shadowed chamber. — Evelyn Paul
An immense ibis-headed figure raises its arms above a small recumbent man in a shadowed chamber.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

A seated man holds a curved instrument or staff beside his body while lifting one hand among hanging leaves. — Khitindra Nath Mazumdar
A seated man holds a curved instrument or staff beside his body while lifting one hand among hanging leaves.
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

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

Diffuse red occupies much of an uneven oval above green and dark lower bands, with a smaller yellow area near the top. — Illustrator not identified
Diffuse red occupies much of an uneven oval above green and dark lower bands, with a smaller yellow area near the top.
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 broad-bodied figure crouches among the rocks while the two travellers stand together beyond him beside a pale, narrow passage. — Gustave Doré
A broad-bodied figure crouches among the rocks while the two travellers stand together beyond him beside a pale, narrow passage.
Dante's Inferno

Dante and Virgil stand beside bare legs projecting upward from circular openings in the stone, with flames at the feet. — Gustave Doré
Dante and Virgil stand beside bare legs projecting upward from circular openings in the stone, with flames at the feet.
Dante's Inferno

A winged pursuer stretches toward a falling or diving human figure above the dark, disturbed surface of the pit. — Gustave Doré
A winged pursuer stretches toward a falling or diving human figure above the dark, disturbed surface of the pit.
Dante's Inferno

A human-faced creature with large wings and a curling, pointed tail lies below two travellers on a rocky ledge. — Gustave Doré
A human-faced creature with large wings and a curling, pointed tail lies below two travellers on a rocky ledge.
Dante's Inferno

A vast wind-blown figure strides through a landscape with a small human form visible within his body. — Matthaeus Merian
A vast wind-blown figure strides through a landscape with a small human form visible within his body.
Atalanta Fugiens

A winged figure flies diagonally through the small printed vignette. — Illustrator not identified
A winged figure flies diagonally through the small printed vignette.
Ancient Magic, Magnetism and Psychic Forces

A horned devil stands above flames with human figures held against its body. — Illustrator not identified
A horned devil stands above flames with human figures held against its body.
The Occult Review, Volume VIII

An elongated human figure leans against a great tree trunk with one arm stretched along its bark. — Wallace Smith
An elongated human figure leans against a great tree trunk with one arm stretched along its bark.
Fantazius Mallare: A Mysterious Oath

A large standing figure raises both hands and spreads its legs while smaller circular and skeletal forms trace the limbs. — Illustrator not identified
A large standing figure raises both hands and spreads its legs while smaller circular and skeletal forms trace the limbs.
Lavius Egyptus: Lectures in the Pythagorean Senate, in the Temple of the Oracle of Dodona

A cross-legged man holds one hand above a vertical sequence of circular symbols along the body. — Maker or photographer not identified
A cross-legged man holds one hand above a vertical sequence of circular symbols along the body.
The Phoenix

A standing human figure is surrounded by animals and symbolic figures associated with the zodiac. — Illustrator not identified
A standing human figure is surrounded by animals and symbolic figures associated with the zodiac.
The Aquarian Age

A standing human outline contains a sequence of animals and figures associated with the zodiac. — Illustrator not identified
A standing human outline contains a sequence of animals and figures associated with the zodiac.
The Philosophy of Natural Magic

A standing human figure separates two curved forms enclosed within rounded outlines. — Illustrator not identified
A standing human figure separates two curved forms enclosed within rounded outlines.
The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception

Three human outlines carry lines running between head, heart and lower body. — Illustrator not identified
Three human outlines carry lines running between head, heart and lower body.
The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception

A standing man extends both arms across a square frame intersected by diagonal lines. — Illustrator not identified
A standing man extends both arms across a square frame intersected by diagonal lines.
Occultism Simplified, or The Mystic Thesaurus

A man with arms stretched above his head stands at the centre of a square crossed by diagonals. — Illustrator not identified
A man with arms stretched above his head stands at the centre of a square crossed by diagonals.
Occultism Simplified, or The Mystic Thesaurus

Coloured centres, planetary signs and inscriptions cover a standing human figure within a rectangular border. — Illustrator not identified
Coloured centres, planetary signs and inscriptions cover a standing human figure within a rectangular border.
The Chakras

A standing woman is surrounded by two uneven boundaries that widen around the upper body. — Illustrator not identified
A standing woman is surrounded by two uneven boundaries that widen around the upper body.
The Human Atmosphere

A female outline stands within a dashed enclosure while clusters of diagonal lines extend from several parts of the body. — Illustrator not identified
A female outline stands within a dashed enclosure while clusters of diagonal lines extend from several parts of the body.
The Human Atmosphere

A human figure spreads its arms and legs within a shaded circle and a large square grid. — After Cesare Cesariano’s edition of Vitruvius
A human figure spreads its arms and legs within a shaded circle and a large square grid.
Man the Grand Symbol of the Mysteries

A muscular human figure stands with arms extended inside a dark oval enclosure. — After Bernard Picart’s Religious Ceremonials
A muscular human figure stands with arms extended inside a dark oval enclosure.
Man the Grand Symbol of the Mysteries

Psychic Lights and Colors Underlying Human Mentality

Illustrator not identified

A profile head is enclosed by a radiating oval field with labelled bands and body regions.

The Principles of Light and Color

Long curved tusks and a shaggy body outline form the image of a mammoth on an irregular engraved fragment. — Illustrator not identified
Long curved tusks and a shaggy body outline form the image of a mammoth on an irregular engraved fragment.
Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel

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

48 of 59 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca