Friday, September 04, 2009

JOB: BLAKE'S PICTURES

Wikipedia Commons
Illustrations of the Book of Job
Plate 13

If you enjoy looking at pictures as I do, you can introduce yourself to Blake's understanding of Job by looking at the pictures he made. There are two series in the Blake Archive. First the plates for his book ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOOK OF JOB, which are black and white engravings. The central picture is surrounded by snippets of text from the biblical Job or elsewhere, and decorative images with symbolic meaning. 

From one viewing you can get a flavor or the work, but study is required to learn more of what Blake wanted to convey of his vision.

Click on this link and page down to the illustrations and the text in Wikipedia

In the Blake Archive view the engraved Illustrations of the Book of Job.

In the Archive you will also find Blake's watercolors of the same scenes from Job which he produced for Thomas Butts. Absent are the symbolic borders, but present are the lovely colors. For aesthetic purposes these pictures are the most satisfying, but they convey less of Blake's understanding of Job. 

Enjoy!

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