From Wikipedia:
The work was composed between 1790 and 1793, in the
period of radical foment and political conflict immediately
after the French Revolution.
after the French Revolution.
The title is an ironic reference to Emanuel Swedenborg's
theological work Heaven and Hell, published in Latin 33
years earlier. Blake directly cited Swedenborg and criticized
him in several places in the Marriage, as well as throughout
his poetry.
(See Plates 3, 19, 21, and 22 of MHH as well as well as
Blake's annotations of three of Swedenborg's works;
Erdman 601-11))
years earlier. Blake directly cited Swedenborg and criticized
him in several places in the Marriage, as well as throughout
his poetry.
(See Plates 3, 19, 21, and 22 of MHH as well as well as
Blake's annotations of three of Swedenborg's works;
Erdman 601-11))
 |
| Title page of Marriage of Heaven and Hell from LocGov Rosenwald |
The title page is colored with a lot of detail:
On the borders you see several trees, merging at the top of the
image.
At the upper part of the picture, between the Marriage, drawn and
Heaven, typed. you see a couple on the left and another one on the
right. The one on the left is strolling; on the right one is kneeling
and the other reclining.
Heaven, typed. you see a couple on the left and another one on the
right. The one on the left is strolling; on the right one is kneeling
and the other reclining.
Below 'Heaven', clustered around the drawn 'of' are a series of
'flying' figures, solitary ones at the upper left, but showing couples
as you move over to the right part.
'flying' figures, solitary ones at the upper left, but showing couples
as you move over to the right part.
Below HELL is construed to be a single couple in a romantic
embrace, the left one perhaps a naked girl and on the left what
might be a clothed young man. Erdman in Illuminated Blake
refers to this couple as an angel and a devil (much of the text in
MHH involves a dialogue between an angel and a devil).
This figure may be thought to symbolize the Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
embrace, the left one perhaps a naked girl and on the left what
might be a clothed young man. Erdman in Illuminated Blake
refers to this couple as an angel and a devil (much of the text in
MHH involves a dialogue between an angel and a devil).
This figure may be thought to symbolize the Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
At this level the trees might be thought of as flaming, followed by
a patch of blue and then darker branches leading to a black
background. The flames seem to be consuming the trees,
suggesting "the alchemical tradition where truncated trees signify
death, as an instrument of transformation, preparing the way for
new life"
a patch of blue and then darker branches leading to a black
background. The flames seem to be consuming the trees,
suggesting "the alchemical tradition where truncated trees signify
death, as an instrument of transformation, preparing the way for
new life"
The concept of death and resulting life is very central in Blake's
thought and values. All of the elements of the picture described above are significant details of Blake's myth and values.
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