Sketch for the Title-Page of the Engraved Illustrations to the Book of Job

The Sketch for the Title-Page of the Engraved Illustrations to the Book of Job by William Blake is a powerful preparatory drawing created between 1823 and 1826. Executed primarily in graphite, with specific elements reinforced using pen and ink, this British work provides essential insight into the rigorous planning behind what is widely considered Blake’s most successful commercial and artistic venture: the series of twenty-one copperplate engravings illustrating the biblical Book of Job.

Completed during the final years of the artist’s life, this drawing exemplifies Blake’s mature style, characterized by intense spiritual symbolism and an emphasis on forceful linear composition. The Sketch outlines the structure for the finished title page, which generally depicts Job and his wife seated centrally, surrounded by architectural motifs and smaller, highly symbolic figures referencing the narrative themes of suffering, divine trial, and redemption. The work belongs to the period 1801 to 1825, a time when Blake, though often misunderstood by contemporaries, focused his energies on producing visionary illustrated books and print suites that synthesized text and image.

The use of graphite allows Blake to explore the subtle nuances of form and placement, while the pen and ink highlights suggest areas of final focus and shadow planned for the definitive engravings. This meticulously constructed drawing reflects the artist's profound commitment to his source material and his unique approach to illustrating the Old Testament narrative. The successful subsequent prints of the Job illustrations are widely available today; and because many of Blake’s significant print series are now in the public domain, this drawing offers invaluable documentary evidence of the creation process. This important British work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.