Blake William.ABAA
Blake William.ABAA
“Calling Card†sometimes called a bookplate for George Cumberland.
1827105078Printed in black ink on thick card. London: William Blake 1827. Printed in black ink on thick card. Very finely printed in good condition though trimmed very close to the image at the left and right edges once pasted down and thus with traces of mounting on the verso and pencil notes from an earlier collector c. 1950 image and plate mark exactly as per Essick 1DD. § Blake’s last engraving executed for one of his closest friends. The images invoke one of Blake’s greatest themes—the relationships between time and eternity. Although probably intended as a calling card two books have been located with this card pasted in both written by George Cumberland Jr. Thus it has on occasion been sold as a “bookplateâ€. Examples on card not in Cumberland's book are exceptionally rare and have been presumed to be of the earliest printing and possibly by Blake himself. All other impressions on laid paper most often are posthumous. Thirty-nine examples in all are known to Essick not including examples now untraced of which eight are on card of which one is described as printed in green ink. Essick The Separate Plates of William Blake XXI see entry 1DD for identical measurements but not this copy. Bindman Complete Graphic Works of Blake 654. William Blake unknown books
