Songs of Innocence: Spring 1789 - 1825

William Blake created “Songs of Innocence: Spring” using relief etching and watercolor. Note how the composition is divided into two distinct registers. Above, the figures of a mother and child under a tree are set against a backdrop of grazing sheep, rendered in soft, muted tones. Below, the text of the poem, framed by organic, swirling tendrils, presents a visual counterpoint. The letterforms are integrated into the natural forms, blurring the lines between text and image. Blake thus challenges conventional hierarchies. The symmetrical arrangement creates a harmonious balance, yet the work pushes against the traditional, linear perspective. Blake's methodology serves as a precursor to modernist ideas about form and space. The image functions as a complex sign, encoding a multitude of meanings. The artwork invites contemplation about how the formal elements of color, line, and composition intersect with cultural and philosophical ideas about innocence.