Satan Smiting Job with Boils

Art Historical Context

William Blake's *Satan Smiting Job with Boils* (1825) is a powerful engraving from his monumental series *Illustrations of the Book of Job*, one of the artist's final masterpieces produced in his later years. This scene captures a pivotal moment from the Old Testament, where Satan afflicts the righteous Job with sores as a test of faith, surrounded by Job's despairing family. Blake, a visionary Romantic artist and poet, drew deeply from biblical narratives to explore profound themes of suffering, divine mystery, and human resilience, infusing his work with personal mysticism that blurred the lines between spirituality and imagination. Crafted as an engraving on thick laid paper, the piece showcases Blake's innovative relief etching technique, which allowed him to combine intricate line work, dynamic composition, and subtle tonal effects in a single printing process. His bold contrasts of light and shadow heighten the drama, with Satan's menacing form looming over Job's tormented figure, evoking both horror and pathos. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection (Department CG-E, Portfolio classification), this print exemplifies Blake's enduring influence on printmaking and Romantic art, inviting viewers to ponder the eternal struggle between good and evil. (198 words)

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...