"And Saul Said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with Thee" [recto]

"And Saul Said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with Thee" [recto] by William Blake is a powerful drawing executed between 1780 and 1785. This work, classified as a drawing, showcases Blake’s early commitment to mythological and Biblical narratives, drawn specifically from the Book of Samuel. The medium employed is pen and ink applied swiftly over preparatory graphite on laid paper. This technique highlights the artist’s characteristic emphasis on dynamic outline and expressive linear composition, typical of his designs produced during this nascent stage of his British career.

The composition captures the dramatic interaction between the elderly King Saul and the youthful David, who is about to embark on his mission to confront Goliath. Blake often utilized the drawing medium to explore intense human and divine interactions, prioritizing raw emotion and energetic gesture over meticulous anatomical realism. The figures are rendered with an intense, almost frantic energy, a hallmark of Blake’s evolving visual approach during the late eighteenth century. Unlike his later, more polished prints and illuminated books, this early drawing relies on the stark contrast of ink on paper to convey dramatic tension.

Created during the transformative period of 1776 to 1800, this piece reflects the growing interest in dramatic historical and spiritual subjects within British art, paving the way for Romanticism. Blake, known today globally for his complex poetry and innovative relief prints, utilized preparatory drawings such as this to refine the dramatic poses and compositions that would define his unique visual language. The drawing, And Saul Said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with Thee, is currently housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. As an important historical document, high-quality images and prints of the work are often made available through public domain initiatives associated with the collection, ensuring its continued study and appreciation.