The Day of Judgment, from 'The Grave,' a Poem by Robert Blair
Original title: The Day of Judgment, from "The Grave," a Poem by Robert Blair
kurzbeschreibung
William Blake engraved this print on March 1, 1813, as an illustration for Robert Blair's poem 'The Grave'. It presents the Last Judgment: Christ enthroned at the center, surrounded by angels and a multitude of human figures. The work is executed as a detailed black-and-white engraving.
Description
Jesus Christ sits elevated in the middle, holding a book in his hands; on either side stand angels who also carry books. Below this group are many human figures, some floating, others lying on the ground—a sign of the damned. The layout is symmetrical, and the palette remains in monochrome grays. Fine shading creates spatial depth and drama.
Context
This engraving was made as an illustration for Robert Blair's poem 'The Grave' (1743), a well-known work of graveyard poetry. In 1808 the publisher Robert Cromek released the project, with Blake's original designs re-engraved by other artists. The present engraving from 1813 belongs to a later series that Blake himself executed. It takes its place within nineteenth-century religious art, which understood the Last Judgment as a moral warning.
Impact
The symmetrical arrangement and the animated poses of the figures evoke a solemn, sublime mood. Through the fine shading the scene gains spatial depth and draws the viewer into the action. The detailed execution emphasizes the seriousness of the subject.
Technique
For this copperplate engraving, lines were cut into the plate and then printed. The monochrome gray palette results from varying the density and direction of the lines, which allows precise shading. The plate measures 27.6 x 22.2 cm, the sheet 30.5 x 24.1 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)