Phoebe and Jellicoe, from Illustrations to the songs from William Blake’s Island in the Moon”

Charles Seliger, Phoebe and Jellicoe, from Illustrations to the songs from William Blake's "Island in the Moon", 1945, white ink on black ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Michael Rosenfeld, 1992.53.5
Charles Seliger, Phoebe and Jellicoe, from Illustrations to the songs from William Blake's "Island in the Moon", 1945, white ink on black ink on paper, sheet: 1411 in. (35.627.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Michael Rosenfeld, 1992.53.5

Artwork Details

Title
Phoebe and Jellicoe, from Illustrations to the songs from William Blake’s Island in the Moon”
Date
1945
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 1411 in. (35.627.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Michael Rosenfeld
Mediums
Mediums Description
white ink on black ink on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Literature — character — Phoebe
  • Literature — Blake — Island in the Moon
  • Fantasy
  • Literature — character — Jellicoe
Object Number
1992.53.5

Artwork Description

At age nineteen, Charles Seliger drew illustrations for songs from the unfinished satire, An Island in the Moon by William Blake (1757-1827), an English poet, painter, and printmaker.
Written around 1785, the manuscript combines classical Greek satire with a critique of one of the intellectual salons of the London bourgeoisie. Each of Seliger’s drawings depict one or more of the absurdly named characters from Blake’s fictional island, some of whom also represent friends and contemporaries of the author. Suction, the Epicurean, for example, is believed to correspond to Blake’s brother Robert, and Quid, the Cynic refers to Blake himself.
Blake’s song lyrics range from vulgar to menacing to humorous. While Old Corruption is considered an allegory for sin, the song for which Seliger drew O, I Say You Joe, Throw Us the Ball was the first recorded poem to focus on cricket, an English bat-and-ball sport.

Abstract Drawings, 2012

Works by this artist (11 items)

Perla de Leon, Touch Football, 1980, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, 2016.16.10, © 1980, Perla de Leon
Touch Football
Date1980
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Perla de Leon, Pepe and Me (part 2), 1980, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, 2016.16.9, © 1980, Perla de Leon
Pepe and Me (part 2)
Date1980
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Perla de Leon, A Hill in the South Bronx, 1980, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, 2016.16.3, © 1980, Perla de Leon
A Hill in the South Bronx
Date1980
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Perla de Leon, My Playground, 1980, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, 2016.16.6, © 1980, Perla de Leon
My Playground
Date1980
gelatin silver print
Not on view

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David Levinthal, Untitled from the series Hitler Moves East, 1974, printed 2015, Pigment print on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of an anonymous donor, 2017.32.154, © 1974, David Levinthal
Untitled from the series Hitler Moves East
Date1974, printed 2015
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