The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun

The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun by William Blake is one of four major watercolor drawings the British artist executed around 1805, illustrating the Book of Revelation. This visionary work was created using pen and gray ink with watercolor washes applied over preliminary graphite sketching, a technique that allows Blake to achieve both precise line work and intense, saturated color.

The composition directly interprets the apocalyptic vision described in Revelation 12, depicting the celestial conflict between the sun-clothed woman, crowned with twelve stars, and the monstrous Great Red Dragon. Blake renders the Dragon, a serpentine manifestation of Satan, with immense physical presence, dominating the frame with its powerful musculature and scarlet hue. In contrast, the woman is a figure of sublime vulnerability, lifted upon the crescent moon as she is menaced by the Dragon’s seven crowned heads and coiling tail.

This drawing belongs squarely within the period of 1801 to 1825, a crucial time when Blake was refining his unique approach to biblical and mythological subjects. He originally created this and the companion pieces for his patron, Thomas Butts. The enduring visual power of Blake's interpretation cemented its status as one of the most recognized images by this celebrated British visionary. The piece is classified as a drawing and currently resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to the historical age of the artwork, high-quality prints are often widely distributed through public domain repositories, ensuring continued accessibility to this essential work of art.