Archives & Special Collections

Blake Prints

University of Glasgow Library has three important works by the artist William Blake (1757-1827):

• Visions of the Daughters of Albion (London, 1793)
• Europe: a Prophecy (Lambeth, 1794)  - one of only nine authentic copies of the complete work known to exist
• Illustrations of the Book of Job (London, 1825) - Part of the Stirling Maxwell Collection, a bound proof copy of engravings from copper plates now held in the British Museum

Also of interest from the Stirling Maxwell Collection is a copy of A descriptive catalogue ... , which was printed to accompany an 1809 exhibition of Blake's works and provides the most comprehensive account of his theories on art.

Several other works by Blake are in the Hunterian Art Gallery.

How to find material from the Blake Prints collection

• Use the rare books search to locate items held in Special Collections relating to William Blake.
• William Blake and his circle, 1 May-26 June 1993, Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow (Glasgow, 1993). Exhibition catalogue.
• A facsimile edition of Europe: a Prophecy, published by the Blake Trust is also available for consultation in the Special Collections Department.
• Europe: a Prophecy (Book of the Month: November 2007)
• The William Blake archive  features a range of Blake's works, including digital versions of the University of Glasgow Library's copies of Visions of the Daughters of Albion (VDA, copy C) and Europe (Europe, copy B).