The Book of Job: Pl. 4, And I only am escaped alone to tell thee

The Book of Job: Pl. 4, And I only am escaped alone to tell thee is a powerful engraving created by William Blake in 1825. This sheet forms the fourth installment in the renowned series of twenty-one etched illustrations interpreting the biblical narrative of Job's suffering and ultimate redemption. Blake, a central figure in the literary and artistic culture of the United Kingdom, executed this late work using the traditional medium of line engraving, a technique he mastered after an earlier period focusing on relief etching. The decision to employ this demanding, precise process in 1825 lends a clarity and definition characteristic of his final years.

The composition captures the harrowing moment described by the lone surviving servant, whose distress signals the complete destruction of Job’s wealth, livestock, and children. Blake frames the figures of Job and his wife in attitudes of profound sorrow, their bodies weighted down by catastrophic loss. In contrast to the despairing human figures, the surrounding lines and symbolic borders hint at the spiritual forces governing the tragedy. The contrast between light and deep shadow underscores the intensity of the spiritual trial Job is enduring.

The The Book of Job engravings are widely regarded as among Blake’s most successful artistic achievements, synthesizing his complex symbolic language with his illustrative talent. Works such as these religious prints, executed late in the artist's life, continue to inspire study and are often shared digitally due to their placement within the public domain. This particular impression is held in the distinguished collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.