Job's Sacrifice

Job's Sacrifice by William Blake is a seminal example of graphic art produced during the British Romantic period. Executed as a meticulous engraving in 1825, this print represents the artist’s mature mastery of the medium and his profound engagement with spiritual texts. The work is part of Blake’s celebrated series illustrating the Book of Job, which he completed late in his life, offering a powerful visual interpretation of divine trial, endurance, and ultimate redemption.

As an artist operating outside the standard conventions of the Royal Academy, Blake utilized the medium of engraving not merely for reproduction, but as a primary vehicle for original expression. Completed within the key artistic period spanning 1801 to 1825, the piece exemplifies his idiosyncratic style, characterized by highly defined outlines, dramatic symmetry, and a complex layering of symbolic imagery derived from mystical and biblical sources. Blake’s sophisticated control over the copperplate allows for an intense use of contrasting light and shadow, heightening the emotional weight of Job’s suffering and faith.

The composition centers on the figures relevant to the biblical narrative, rendered with an expressive energy that transcends typical illustration. Blake imbues the scene with both mythological gravity and personal resonance, themes central to British art during this era. The dense, delicate cross-hatching necessary for this type of detailed printmaking underscores the dramatic force inherent in the design.

This powerful work is permanently housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of its age and cultural significance, impressions of this pivotal 1825 engraving are frequently found within the public domain, ensuring widespread study and appreciation of Blake's enduring contribution to the history of prints and visionary art.