Satan Going Forth from the Presence of the Lord
1825
Medium
engraving on thick paper
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.1671
Art Historical Context
William Blake's *Satan Going Forth from Presence of the Lord*1825) is a captivating engraving from his monumental series *Illustrations of the Book Job*, drawing directly from the biblical narrative in Job 1:6-12. Created in the final years of Blake's life, this work captures the dramatic moment when Satan departs from God's presence to afflict the righteous Job, embodying Blake's profound fascination with spiritual conflict, divine judgment, and human suffering. As a visionary artist of the Romantic era, Blake his imagery with mystical symbolism, blending intricate line work with ethereal fig...
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...