Job Rebuked by His Friends

The influential British artist William Blake created Job Rebuked by His Friends in 1825. This exceptional work, executed as an engraving on thick paper, belongs to the famed portfolio known as the Illustrations of the Book of Job. The creation of this series of prints spanned the period leading up to 1825, marking one of the last major creative endeavors of Blake's life and placing it squarely within the late Romantic movement in British art.

Blake’s distinctive style, characterized by highly expressive, muscular figures and deeply etched lines, is immediately apparent in this work. The scene illustrates the moment from the biblical narrative when Job is visited by his three friends-Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Rather than offering solace, they rebuke Job, suggesting that his immense suffering must be the result of hidden sins. Blake captures the intensity of this moral confrontation, rendering Job as a figure of isolated grief, contrasting sharply with the accusatory gestures of his visitors.

This particular period of 1801 to 1825 saw Blake revisit and refine the technique of line engraving, demonstrating his commitment to classical linear clarity even as many contemporary artists embraced mezzotint and lithography. Blake utilized his medium not merely for illustration, but as a vehicle for profound spiritual and moral commentary. The portfolio cemented the artist’s reputation posthumously and remains a cornerstone of British graphic arts.

This impression of the work, classified within a significant set of related prints, is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of its age and profound cultural significance, Job Rebuked by His Friends is generally considered part of the public domain, ensuring its continued study and accessibility as a masterwork of early nineteenth-century art.