Job's Comforters

Job's Comforters, an engraving created by the British visionary artist William Blake in 1825, is one of the culminating achievements of the artist’s prolific career as an illustrator and printmaker. This dramatic print is part of the final series of twenty-one illustrations Blake executed for the biblical Book of Job, a cycle commissioned late in his life. The series is celebrated for its deep theological symbolism and mastery of graphic technique.

Executed during the 1801 to 1825 period, the work employs the exacting medium of line engraving to achieve stark contrasts between light and shadow, defining the figures with precision while lending the background a mystical, swirling atmosphere. Blake, trained professionally as an engraver, utilizes the medium to its full expressive potential, transforming the narrative into a potent study of spiritual anguish and moral judgment.

The print depicts the moment of deepest despair for Job. Having suffered the loss of his family, wealth, and health, he is shown prostrate and tormented. He is confronted by his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who have come to "comfort" him but instead conclude that his misfortune must be the result of a secret, terrible sin. Blake renders the comforters with judgmental rigidity; their poses and gestures communicate harsh condemnation rather than empathy, embodying the limits of human understanding in the face of divine testing.

This exceptional piece of British graphic art demonstrates Blake’s unique synthesis of poetry and visual representation. The original print resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. As a significant work from this era, and like many important historical prints, high-quality images of Job's Comforters are often made available to students and researchers through the institution's commitment to the public domain.