Blake's 'Tyger' Poem Print Sets New Auction Record

An exceptionally rare print of William Blakes renowned poem The Tyger achieved a record-breaking 228,600 ($304,519) at a Christies auction on Wednesday. The piece originates from the first edition of Blakes Songs of Experience, produced around 1794.

The final price soared well above the initial estimate of 80,000120,000, marking the highest sum ever paid for a Blake print. The work was purchased by an anonymous bidder following more than two minutes of intense competition in Christies London saleroom.

The Tyger, one of the most frequently reproduced poems in the English language, was offered alongside seven additional prints from the same collection. Together, the eight works realised a combined total of 680,720, acquired by multiple buyers.

According to Murray Macaulay, Christies Head of Prints Europe, Blakes imaginative texts and vivid imagerycaptured in these early colour relief etchingscontinue to inspire audiences centuries after their creation.

The record-setting print previously belonged to Kenneth Grahame, the author of The Wind in the Willows.

Author: Harper Simmons