Menalclas kijkt naar dansende vrouwen

Three women in flowing gowns perform a rhythmic dance, one holding a tambourine, in front of a classical portico. To the right, two seated musicians provide the accompaniment while a figure identified as Thenot observes the scene. The image is a wood engraving characterized by bold, expressive lines and a high-contrast play of light and shadow.

Created for Robert John Thornton's 'Pastorals of Virgil', these woodcuts represent Blake's late-career visionary interpretation of the classical Golden Age. They were deeply influential on the 'Ancients', a group of artists including Samuel Palmer who viewed these small landscapes as mystical windows into a spiritual, Neoplatonic reality.