In this image from All Religions are One (1970 facsimile), a naked male figure sits upon a large rock. This figure is commonly thought by Blake scholars to represent John the Baptist. His feet are crossed and both of his arms are gesturing to the right. He is surrounded by vines, leaves, and other such items of the natural world. Beneath him lies the caption of the frontispiece, which reads “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”
This work is one of Blake's earliest experiments with illuminated printing. He began working on it in 1788 and returned to it again in 1795. The facsimile is made from a composite of two different copies and was purchased by the Friends of the Union College Library in 1971.
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