Job Rebuked by His Friends

Job Rebuked by His Friends is a powerful engraving on thick paper created by the visionary British artist William Blake in 1825. This specific piece is drawn from the renowned series of illustrations based on the Biblical Book of Job, a narrative Blake returned to repeatedly and which profoundly resonated with his spiritual and critical worldview. Classified as a portfolio piece, the artwork captures the pivotal moment when the afflicted Job receives the counsel, often perceived as condemnation, from his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.

Executed late in the period 1801 to 1825, this work showcases Blake’s mature handling of the engraving technique. The artist utilized precise, energetic lines and dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, techniques that maximize the emotional weight of the scene and are characteristic of his distinctive approach to prints. Blake was celebrated for translating profound theological themes into visual language, often blending traditional composition with his own unique mythological framework. The visual precision and dramatic intensity rendered through the medium of engraving solidify this image as an important example of late Romantic British art.

As one of Blake’s final completed illustrative projects, these detailed prints represent some of the most influential book illustrations of the nineteenth century. Given the work's significant historical context and age, masterworks such as this are often made accessible to the public domain through institutional conservation and digitalization efforts. This exemplary engraving, Job Rebuked by His Friends, is housed within the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, preserving its cultural and historical significance for scholars and enthusiasts worldwide.