Job's Evil Dreams
1825
Medium
engraving on thick paper
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.1692
Art Historical Context
William Blake's *Job's Evil Dreams*1825) is a captivating engraving from his monumental series *Illustrations of the Book of Job*, profound late-career project that blends biblical narrative with the artist's visionary mysticism. Depicting Job tormented by spectral figures in his sleep—drawn from the Old Testament story of suffering and divine testing—this work captures the human soul's wrestle with despair and temptation. Printed on thick paper using Blake's innovative relief etching technique it exemplifies his mastery of line and tone, allowing intricate details to emerge with ethereal inte...
About the Artist
William Blake · 1757–1827
William Blake (1757–1827) stands as one of the most visionary and unconventional artists in British history, a poet-painter-printmaker whose mystical imagination and radical vision profoundly shaped the Romantic movement. Born in London's Soho district, Blake experienced visions from childhood—claiming to see angels in trees at age eight—and these spiritual encounters would guide his art throughou...