Job rebuked by his Friends
Original title: Job rebuked by his Friends
kurzbeschreibung
Where many depictions of Job dwell on his suffering alone, this engraving by William Blake, made in 1825–26, puts his argument with his friends at its heart. The sheet belongs to Blake's well-known series of illustrations to the Book of Job and is presented here as a proof impression.
Description
A long-haired, naked man — Job — sits at the middle of the image with his hands raised, while five standing men crowd around him in a manner that feels pressing. A mountain landscape with a wall lies behind them. Two blocks of biblical text are set above the scene, framed by an ornamental border with stylised human heads and a bird.
Context
Between 1823 and 1826 Blake produced a series of 21 engravings for the Book of Job, commissioned by the artist John Linnell. His own watercolours served as the models, and the plates were worked as etchings on copper. The series ranks among the major achievements of English Romanticism and sets out Blake's highly personal reading of the biblical text.
Impact
The dramatic arrangement and the expressive figures give the sheet its force. Clear lines and the contrast of light and shadow create a solemn, almost visionary mood.
Technique
The lines were engraved into the copper plate. The impression shown here is a proof, an early print that reveals the fine detail of the engraving. The sheet measures 41.1 x 27.6 cm, the plate 21.6 x 16.8 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)