Job and His Family

Job and His Family by William Blake, created in 1825, is a masterful example of the artist's late style applied to biblical narrative. Executed as an engraving on thick paper, this piece belongs to a specific series, classified as a portfolio, and is often recognized as Blake's crowning achievement in relief printing. The meticulous detail and dramatic, often highly symbolic, lighting characteristic of Blake’s draftsmanship are clearly evident in this finished print, marking a significant contribution to the visual interpretation of scripture in the British artistic tradition.

Created toward the end of his life, this illustration exemplifies Blake’s enduring engagement with mystical and theological themes drawn from the Book of Job. The period of production, spanning 1801 to 1825, corresponds closely to the height of the Romantic movement in Britain, a time when individual spiritual vision dominated intellectual and artistic life. Blake’s highly personal iconography transforms the suffering and eventual restoration of the patriarch Job into an epic struggle between innocence and experience, divine wrath and redemption. This particular image, depicting Job surrounded by his family, represents the peace and divine understanding attained after profound adversity, often serving as the final plate in the iconic series of twenty-two illustrations. The depiction contrasts the somber trials of the patriarch with the restored harmony and abundance seen in the closing chapters of the narrative, emphasizing spiritual victory.

While many of Blake’s earlier works utilized relief etching for his illuminated books, this work employs traditional engraving techniques, allowing for darker, richer tonal contrasts and a higher degree of linear precision. The work is considered one of the final great projects undertaken by the artist before his death in 1827. Given its age and the nature of these extensive collections, high-quality prints of the Job and His Family series are frequently available in the public domain, allowing wide study of Blake’s unique visual theology. This important print is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a foundational example of late Romantic British graphic art.