Christ Appearing to His Disciples After the Resurrection

Christ Appearing to His Disciples After the Resurrection by William Blake, created in 1795, is an exceptional example of the artist’s experimental approach to printmaking during the late eighteenth century. This monumental work is classified as a color print, specifically a monotype, which Blake then meticulously hand-colored using a combination of watercolor and tempera. This complex process allowed Blake to merge the reproducibility often associated with prints with the unique, expressive qualities of painting, ensuring that each impression was distinct and rich in texture. The intensity of color and the dynamically defined forms are characteristic of Blake’s highly personal and visionary aesthetic.

Produced within the British art scene between 1776 and 1800, a time coinciding with the flourishing of Romanticism, this piece reflects Blake's deep commitment to theological interpretation. Blake rejected the prevailing rationalism of the Enlightenment, focusing instead on internal, spiritual drama and mythic power. In depicting Christ revealing his resurrected body to the disciples, Blake emphasizes the emotional realization of the divine miracle rather than a purely documentary portrayal of the biblical scene. The composition captures the profound, almost supernatural, light emanating from the figure of Christ as he appears before his stunned followers.

This print belongs to a significant series of twelve large color prints executed by Blake between 1795 and 1805, which explore fundamental biblical and literary narratives. The scale and technical richness of these pieces position them midway between typical illustrative book plates and independent easel paintings. This specific impression of Christ Appearing to His Disciples After the Resurrection is currently held in the prestigious collection of the National Gallery of Art. The historical importance of these experimental prints is considerable, representing a high point in Blake’s graphic work, and owing to the age of the original work, high-quality images are often made available through public domain archives for study and appreciation.