Job and His Daughters

Job and His Daughters is a profound engraving created by William Blake in 1825, serving as the culminating image (Plate 21) in his renowned series, Illustrations of the Book of Job. As a powerful example of British Romantic printmaking, this final work concludes the biblical narrative, depicting the patriarch Job restored to prosperity and surrounded by his three daughters. The piece is classified as a print and resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Blake designed and executed the plates for this series late in his career, firmly establishing the work as a masterwork created during the period spanning 1801 to 1825. Unlike earlier plates in the series that focused on suffering and spiritual turmoil, the composition of Job and His Daughters emphasizes harmony, redemption, and domestic reconciliation. Job is shown recounting his spiritual journey and trials to his children, a scene often interpreted as the moment before the Lord "blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning" (Job 42:12).

The delicate execution of this engraving showcases Blake’s unique adaptation of traditional print techniques to serve his visionary purpose. The intricate detail and reliance on dense linearity create a sense of ethereal light radiating from the central figures. Blake utilizes dramatic contrast, common in early nineteenth-century British art, to convey the spiritual transcendence achieved through suffering. The circular composition and the symmetrical grouping of the figures reinforce the theme of completeness and divine blessing.

This enduring image remains a key example of the expressive power of Romantic-era prints. The widely studied series confirms Blake's lasting influence, securing his place as one of the most significant visionary artists of the British school. Today, high-quality copies of these prints are readily available through the public domain, allowing broad access to the work’s profound theological and artistic vision.