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This sketch of a shepherd sleeping with his dog at the edge of a precipice relates to one of the nearly 550 watercolors that William Blake created for the 1797 edition of Edward Young’s <em>The Complaint, and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts</em>, a long poem about death and salvation originally published in 1742–45<em>.</em> Blake worked extensively with books as an author and illustrator, and also engraved the work of others for publication. <em>Night Thoughts</em> was one of his most ambitious commercial projects. Unfortunately, only one of the four planned volumes was ever produced, since Richard Edwards, who had commissioned the work, closed his publishing business.

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
b0b1e882d0389bf1
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
113307
Core
obj
Type
drawing
DTO data
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    "contentType": "drawing",
    "title": "Sketch for \"The Thought of Death alone, the Fear Destroys\"",
    "description": "This sketch of a shepherd sleeping with his dog at the edge of a precipice relates to one of the nearly 550 watercolors that William Blake created for the 1797 edition of Edward Young’s <em>The Complaint, and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts</em>, a long poem about death and salvation originally published in 1742–45<em>.</em> Blake worked extensively with books as an author and illustrator, and also engraved the work of others for publication. <em>Night Thoughts</em> was one of his most ambitious commercial projects. Unfortunately, only one of the four planned volumes was ever produced, since Richard Edwards, who had commissioned the work, closed his publishing business.",
    "date": "c. 1795",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1932.318",
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    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Sheet: 17 x 30.8 cm (6 11/16 x 12 1/8 in.)",
    "cul": [
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    ],
    "accession": "1932.318"
}

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Document identity
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    "localId": "113307",
    "label": "Sketch for \"The Thought of Death alone, the Fear Destroys\"",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "drawing"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "113307",
    "contentType": "drawing",
    "title": "Sketch for \"The Thought of Death alone, the Fear Destroys\"",
    "description": "This sketch of a shepherd sleeping with his dog at the edge of a precipice relates to one of the nearly 550 watercolors that William Blake created for the 1797 edition of Edward Young’s <em>The Complaint, and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts</em>, a long poem about death and salvation originally published in 1742–45<em>.</em> Blake worked extensively with books as an author and illustrator, and also engraved the work of others for publication. <em>Night Thoughts</em> was one of his most ambitious commercial projects. Unfortunately, only one of the four planned volumes was ever produced, since Richard Edwards, who had commissioned the work, closed his publishing business.",
    "date": "c. 1795",
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    "cul": [
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}
Document source extras
{
    "tec": "graphite on paper",
    "tombstone": "Sketch for \"The Thought of Death alone, the Fear Destroys\", c. 1795. William Blake (British, 1757–1827). Graphite on paper; sheet: 17 x 30.8 cm (6 11/16 x 12 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland, 1932.318",
    "collection": "DR - British",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1932.318",
    "creditline": "Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland",
    "updatedAt": "2026-05-29 05:57:47.095000",
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Page context
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