‘And Unyok’d Heifers, Loitering Homewards, Low’ Possibly 1821 - 1977

Editor: This is William Blake’s ‘And Unyok’d Heifers, Loitering Homewards, Low’, a small wood engraving. I find the stark contrasts really striking. What feelings do you get when you view this piece? Curator: It evokes a sense of pastoral longing, doesn’t it? The heifers, freed from their yokes, symbolize release, but also a cyclical return. Do you see how the setting sun echoes this idea of ending and beginning? Editor: Yes, I see that now! The animals also seem to be in step, they appear connected. Curator: Precisely. Blake often used animals to represent primal energies and connections to the earth. The returning cattle suggest a deep-seated cultural memory of agrarian life. What do you think that means? Editor: It makes me think about our relationship with nature and how it has changed over time. Thank you for pointing out the cyclical theme. Curator: My pleasure. It’s fascinating how Blake imbued such small images with so much symbolic weight.