“Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing”
In 1788 William Blake invented a technically revolutionary method of printing both word and image together that he called ‘Illuminated Printing.’ Blake’s invention made it possible to print both the text of his poems and the images that he created to illustrate them from the same copper plate, etche...
Shranjeno v:
| izdano v: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces, |
|---|---|
| Glavni avtor: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Jezik: | Anglais |
| Izdano: |
Interfaces
2020
|
| Teme: | |
| Online dostop: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| id |
openedition-oai:revues.org:interfaces_489 |
|---|---|
| record_format |
openedition |
| spelling |
openedition-oai:revues.org:interfaces_489 https://doi.org/10.4000/interfaces.489 urn:doi:10.4000/interfaces.489 en https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces/489 2020-12-15T01:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/h4gm https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing” Interfaces Université Bourgogne Europe info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2647-6754 info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/1164-6225 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces Phillips, Michael poésie impression gravure en relief enluminure empirisme idées innées histoire du livre art composite Blake (William) livre illustré gravure poetry illuminated printing relief-etching illuminated books empiricism innate ideas history of the book prints composite art Blake (William) In 1788 William Blake invented a technically revolutionary method of printing both word and image together that he called ‘Illuminated Printing.’ Blake’s invention made it possible to print both the text of his poems and the images that he created to illustrate them from the same copper plate, etched in relief (in contrast to conventional etching or engraving in intaglio), unassisted, using his own rolling-press. Significantly, this meant that he became solely responsible not only for the creation, but also for the reproduction of his works, largely free from commercial constraint and entirely free from censorship. The paper explains and illustrates Blake's invention in the context of conventional eighteenth-century illustrated book production, which required two fundamentally different kinds of printing press, a screw- or letter-press as well as a rolling-press, and numbers of highly skilled specialist pressmen. The metaphorical significance of Blake’s method of ‘Illuminated Printing’ is also explored. En 1788, William Blake invente une méthode d’impression révolutionnaire qui lui permet d’imprimer en même temps ses poèmes et les images qu’il avait créées pour les illustrer, à partir de la même plaque de cuivre, gravée en relief - au contraire de la méthode habituelle, de taille en creux – sur sa propre presse. Il devient alors le seul responsable non seulement de la création mais aussi de la reproduction de ses œuvres, se libérant de la censure et des contraintes du commerce. Cet article explicite l’invention de Blake, la resituant dans le contexte de l’édition au XVIIIème siècle, qui exigeait deux types de presses à imprimer, et des ouvriers spécialisés. La signification métaphorique de la méthode de Blake est également explorée. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
poésie impression gravure en relief enluminure empirisme idées innées histoire du livre art composite Blake (William) livre illustré gravure poetry illuminated printing relief-etching illuminated books empiricism innate ideas history of the book prints composite art Blake (William) |
| spellingShingle |
poésie impression gravure en relief enluminure empirisme idées innées histoire du livre art composite Blake (William) livre illustré gravure poetry illuminated printing relief-etching illuminated books empiricism innate ideas history of the book prints composite art Blake (William) Phillips, Michael “Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing” |
| description |
In 1788 William Blake invented a technically revolutionary method of printing both word and image together that he called ‘Illuminated Printing.’ Blake’s invention made it possible to print both the text of his poems and the images that he created to illustrate them from the same copper plate, etched in relief (in contrast to conventional etching or engraving in intaglio), unassisted, using his own rolling-press. Significantly, this meant that he became solely responsible not only for the creation, but also for the reproduction of his works, largely free from commercial constraint and entirely free from censorship. The paper explains and illustrates Blake's invention in the context of conventional eighteenth-century illustrated book production, which required two fundamentally different kinds of printing press, a screw- or letter-press as well as a rolling-press, and numbers of highly skilled specialist pressmen. The metaphorical significance of Blake’s method of ‘Illuminated Printing’ is also explored. |
| author |
Phillips, Michael |
| author_facet |
Phillips, Michael |
| author_sort |
Phillips, Michael |
| title |
“Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing” |
| title_short |
“Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing” |
| title_full |
“Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing” |
| title_fullStr |
“Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing” |
| title_full_unstemmed |
“Printing in the infernal method”: William Blake’s method of “Illuminated Printing” |
| title_sort |
“printing in the infernal method”: william blake’s method of “illuminated printing” |
| publisher |
Interfaces |
| publishDate |
2020 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/interfaces.489 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/interfaces/489 |
| _version_ |
1877293791393611776 |