The Lord Answering Job out of the Whirlwind
1825
Medium
engraving on thin paper
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.1696
Art Historical Context
William Blake's *The Lord Answering Job of the Whirlwind* (1825) is a captivating engraving from his monumental series *Illustrations of the Book Job*, a set of 22 plates that represent the culmination of the visionary artist's lifelong engagement with the biblical narrative. Depicting the climactic moment from the Book of Job (chapter 38), where God speaks to the suffering Job from a swirling, Blake captures divine power and human awe through dynamic forms and swirling energy. Created late in Blake's life (1757–1827), this work reflects his Romantic fascination with spirituality, prophecy, an...
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...