On Homer's Poetry (and) On Virgil
1822
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1822
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
On Homer's Poetry (and) On Virgil is a 1822 ink by William Blake, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a dark, sketchy print with handwritten text and shadowy figures. The words are cramped but legible—debating poetry, war, and ancient Greece. Small, ghostly people line the bottom, like silent witnesses. The artist argues that Homer and Virgil shaped truth better than later wars. The messy lines and faded ink make it feel urgent, like a secret note. Look up etching to see how this print was made.
