A rare book of poetry and artwork by William Blake sold for a sky-high US$4.3 million on Wednesday at Sotheby’s in New York, setting a world record for the English literary figure, according to the auction house.
The 1794 copy of Songs of Innocence and of Experience, which was expected to fetch up to US$1.8 million, was illustrated and printed by Blake and his wife, Catherine. It’s one of just six printed during Blake’s lifetime still in private hands.
MORE: Princess Diana Dresses Smash Estimates at Auction, Selling for Over a Combined $1.5 Million
The book’s rarity, imagery, and accessibility of the text all helped nudge the price upward, according to Selby Kiffer, Sotheby’s international senior specialist for books and manuscripts.
“It’s such an extraordinary production,” he says. “From the time we started publicizing it and clients saw it, everyone just fell in love with it.”
Advertisement – Scroll to Continue
Stephan Loewentheil, owner of Luxury Catalogs, based in New York and Baltimore, fell exceptionally hard—and dug deep—for the book. He bought it from the anonymous consignor.
“This book is a manifestation of both artistic and political genius at a level that few in the history of literature and art have achieved,” says Loewentheil, who was in the room for the sale. “It was too much for me to resist—and almost too much to pay for.”
Songs of Innocence and of Experience highlights Blake’s exploration of “two contrary states of the human soul,” as the book’s subtitle notes. Key poems include “The Chimney Sweeper” and “The Tyger,” which features the famous lines “Tyger Tyger, burning bright.” It also has 54 pen- and watercolor-etched plates.
Advertisement – Scroll to Continue
The 230-year-old book also showcases Blake’s innovative etching and printing method. Each page integrates text and imagery, hand-colored and richly detailed, exemplifying his innovative approach to illustration.
This book was first owned by Blake’s friend and patron Charles Augustus Tulk, who had an interest in philosophy and politics. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, author of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, borrowed the book and returned it to Tulk with an appreciative critique. Coleridge’s letter came with the sale of the book, according to Sotheby’s.
MORE: ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ Original Cover Artwork Sells for $1.9 Million
Advertisement – Scroll to Continue
Blake, a poet, painter, and printmaker who died at age 70 in 1827, was largely unrecognized during his life. He is now regarded as a seminal figure in the Romantic Age.
The last time any of the six privately held copies of Songs of Innocence and of Experience came to auction was in 1989, when it sold for US$1.2 million, Kiffer says.
