Rare first-issue of William Blake’s ‘The Tyger’ to fetch up to £120k at auction
Unique version of celebrated poem set for lucrative auction
- A rare first-issue print of William Blake’s iconic poem, The Tyger, is set to be auctioned at Christie’s, with an estimated value of £80,000 to £120,000.
- This specific print is the only one in private ownership, having previously belonged to The Wind In The Willows author, Kenneth Grahame.
- It originates from Blake’s Songs of Experience, published around 1794, a collection so scarce that only four copies are known to exist.
- Seven additional prints from Songs of Experience, including My Pretty Rose Tree and Nurse’s Song, will also be offered, with individual estimates ranging from £20,000 to £70,000.
- These works showcase Blake’s pioneering "illuminated painting style," an intricate etching process he ceased using after 1794, making these early prints particularly rare.