One of only 100 copies.
BLAKE, William (1757-1827) Illustrations of the Book of Job. London Methuen & Co. 1903

8vo.; original white buckram-backed greyish-blue laid-paper-covered boards with narrow printed paper lettering label to spine, edges untrimmed; pp. [iv] + [22 leaves of plates], all with plain tissue-guards, complete with spare spine label tipped in at the rear gutter, as required (often removed and employed); with letterpress title in red and black and a total of 22 monochrome narrative etchings (including title) on India paper mounted-at-large on heavy paper, each with ‘proof’ within the plate-mark, to lower right corner; a very good sound copy, spine cloth and label browned with a water stain to the latter; board edges dusted with some overall light browning; internally immaculate, with clean, crisp, endpapers and plates, only one small smudge to limitation page, without ownership marks or inscriptions; very scarce, especially with fine plates.

“A New Edition”, limited to only 100 copies, “reproduced in reduced facsimile from the original edition published by William Blake in the year 1826”.

This series of engravings, considered among Blake’s finest achievements, was originally commissioned in 1823 by John Linnell to alleviate his protégé’s financial difficulties. In 1821, his patron had requested a repetition of the Job watercolours created for Thomas Butts (c.1805-6) which were traced by Linnell himself and then handed to Blake for colouring. Linnell then ordered 22 engraved subjects, for which project the artist made new pencil drawings, reducing the scale of the watercolours, adding borders, and, in some cases, outline designs and numerous inscriptions taken from the Bible, which elucidate the story. This work is a characteristically personal adaptation of the theological text, influenced by Blake’s own mythology. Only 7 copies located on Library Hub (COPAC): Univ. of the Arts, London (?2 copies); Leeds Libraries; Univ. of Liverpool; National Lib. of Scotland; BL; King’s College, Cambridge.