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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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136 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

A monk-like figure stands on the deck of a boat while a huge dark wave rises into pale fantastic shapes. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A monk-like figure stands on the deck of a boat while a huge dark wave rises into pale fantastic shapes.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A richly dressed young woman looks down towards a pool enclosed by slender trees. — Kay Nielsen
A richly dressed young woman looks down towards a pool enclosed by slender trees.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A celestial carriage descends toward the house where the bamboo-cutter's adopted daughter, Kaguya, waits with her attendants. — Evelyn Paul
A celestial carriage descends toward the house where the bamboo-cutter's adopted daughter, Kaguya, waits with her attendants.
Myths and Legends of Japan

A solar and lunar pair embraces near a cavern at the water’s edge. — Matthaeus Merian
A solar and lunar pair embraces near a cavern at the water’s edge.
Atalanta Fugiens

An armoured monkey hero lifts a long red staff across an immense pale moon. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
An armoured monkey hero lifts a long red staff across an immense pale moon.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

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 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

A young woman stands at a decorated doorway beneath a bright round moon. — Kay Nielsen
A young woman stands at a decorated doorway beneath a bright round moon.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

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

Two small figures hurry across an ornate bridge suspended above a pale landscape. — Kay Nielsen
Two small figures hurry across an ornate bridge suspended above a pale landscape.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A young woman in blue, pink and patterned robes moves above banks of golden clouds. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A young woman in blue, pink and patterned robes moves above banks of golden clouds.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A pale woman stands at the foot of a blue palace half concealed by cascading foliage. — Willy Pogány
A pale woman stands at the foot of a blue palace half concealed by cascading foliage.
Parsifal

Tall trunks fill the narrow image with closely repeated vertical lines. — Kay Nielsen
Tall trunks fill the narrow image with closely repeated vertical lines.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A kneeling traveller and a standing woman face several pale women appearing over clouds. — Gustave Doré
A kneeling traveller and a standing woman face several pale women appearing over clouds.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

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

Miyuki and Komagawa exchange fans as tokens of their promised love after meeting during a summer boat trip in Kyoto. — Evelyn Paul
Miyuki and Komagawa exchange fans as tokens of their promised love after meeting during a summer boat trip in Kyoto.
Myths and Legends of Japan

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 long-haired woman stands in a boat at the edge of a moonlit lake, reaching towards a man who raises both hands. — T. H. Thomas
A long-haired woman stands in a boat at the edge of a moonlit lake, reaching towards a man who raises both hands.
British Goblins

An immense serpent curls above rough water beside a sailing ship beneath moonlit clouds. — Illustrator not identified
An immense serpent curls above rough water beside a sailing ship beneath moonlit clouds.
Monsters of the Sea

A cloaked traveller leaves eight standing cups and climbs toward rocky heights beneath a moon. — Pamela Colman Smith
A cloaked traveller leaves eight standing cups and climbs toward rocky heights beneath a moon.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A blindfolded seated figure holds two crossed swords before a rocky sea beneath a crescent moon. — Pamela Colman Smith
A blindfolded seated figure holds two crossed swords before a rocky sea beneath a crescent moon.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

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 bulky animal-bodied figure stands beside a smaller seated figure beneath a disc-like crown. — Artist not recorded
A bulky animal-bodied figure stands beside a smaller seated figure beneath a disc-like crown.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

Planetary names divide an open palm into labelled regions. — Illustrator not identified
Planetary names divide an open palm into labelled regions.
Cheiro’s Language of the Hand

Two crowned, robed figures join hands beneath an elevated rose and star. — Illustrator not identified
Two crowned, robed figures join hands beneath an elevated rose and star.
The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz

A reclining female figure follows the inner curve of a large crescent moon. — Illustrator not identified
A reclining female figure follows the inner curve of a large crescent moon.
Earthology

A large lunar disc is filled with craters, ridges and broadly shaded regions. — Illustrator not identified
A large lunar disc is filled with craters, ridges and broadly shaded regions.
Earthology

Bare figures bend their shoulders and arms against enormous rounded weights as two groups converge across the rough ground. — Gustave Doré
Bare figures bend their shoulders and arms against enormous rounded weights as two groups converge across the rough ground.
Dante's Inferno

A crowned serpent coils down an upright line beneath a small star and beside a crescent moon. — Illustrator not identified
A crowned serpent coils down an upright line beneath a small star and beside a crescent moon.
The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses

A robed observer looks skyward through an instrument on a terrace furnished with globes and astronomical apparatus. — Illustrator not identified
A robed observer looks skyward through an instrument on a terrace furnished with globes and astronomical apparatus.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Planetary orbits surround a central Sun within a rectangular dark field. — Illustrator not identified
Planetary orbits surround a central Sun within a rectangular dark field.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Several dark sunspot groups interrupt a densely stippled circular surface. — Illustrator not identified
Several dark sunspot groups interrupt a densely stippled circular surface.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Numerous bright streaks cross a dark sky above a low horizon. — Illustrator not identified
Numerous bright streaks cross a dark sky above a low horizon.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

A dark circular disc is surrounded by a brilliant irregular corona. — Illustrator not identified
A dark circular disc is surrounded by a brilliant irregular corona.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Several elongated paths cross one another around a small central solar region. — Illustrator not identified
Several elongated paths cross one another around a small central solar region.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

A banded globe sits within broad, sharply outlined rings against a dark field. — Illustrator not identified
A banded globe sits within broad, sharply outlined rings against a dark field.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

A large telescope tube meets an intricate arrangement of wheels, small tubes, handles and metal fittings. — Illustrator not identified
A large telescope tube meets an intricate arrangement of wheels, small tubes, handles and metal fittings.
The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

A nine-by-nine number grid fills the upper portion of a tall comparative diagram. — Illustrator not identified
A nine-by-nine number grid fills the upper portion of a tall comparative diagram.
The Cave of the Oracle: The Great White Brotherhood

A pale, upright figure stands within a circle before two men in a moonlit burial ground. — Illustrator not identified
A pale, upright figure stands within a circle before two men in a moonlit burial ground.
The Old Book of Magic

A long-horned unicorn lifts its forelegs over low plants beneath a small star. — Edmund Dulac
A long-horned unicorn lifts its forelegs over low plants beneath a small star.
A Vision

The Sun’s circular sign sits at the centre of a six-pointed star. — Illustrator not identified
The Sun’s circular sign sits at the centre of a six-pointed star.
The Kabala of Numbers

A pale bear carries a small rider through a snowy landscape beneath a huge blue curve of sky. — Kay Nielsen
A pale bear carries a small rider through a snowy landscape beneath a huge blue curve of sky.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A young woman stands beside a richly dressed man under patterned hangings. — Kay Nielsen
A young woman stands beside a richly dressed man under patterned hangings.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A powerful pale figure strides above an immense curling wave. — Kay Nielsen
A powerful pale figure strides above an immense curling wave.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A young man in a great pale bearskin sits close beside a richly dressed princess. — Kay Nielsen
A young man in a great pale bearskin sits close beside a richly dressed princess.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A pale woman stands beside a tall decorated bed while richly robed figures gather at the left. — Kay Nielsen
A pale woman stands beside a tall decorated bed while richly robed figures gather at the left.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A crowned man bends beside a young woman on a flower-covered slope. — Kay Nielsen
A crowned man bends beside a young woman on a flower-covered slope.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

48 of 136 shown

Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca