The existence of a unique proof print (British Museum), in which Blake experimented with his technique on a small scale, suggests that Pity was the first large color print produced by the artist. The child and rider illustrate a double simile from Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1:7), in which Macbeth considers the pitiable reaction to his murder of Duncan in terms of vulnerability and vengeance, the human and the supernatural: ... https://perfectionofperplexion.wordpress.com/category/paintings/page/6/