The Vision of Eliphaz

"The Vision of Eliphaz," created by William Blake between 1825 and 1826, is a key work in the artist’s final and most celebrated series of illustrations for the biblical Book of Job. This powerful engraving exemplifies Blake’s unique application of the print medium late in his life, synthesizing his visionary style with neoclassical draughtsmanship. The composition captures the moment described in Job 4:13-16, where Eliphaz the Temanite, one of Job’s friends, is visited by a terrifying spirit during a night vision. This particular print belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's esteemed collection of works on paper, where it is classified as a significant example of early 19th-century British prints.

Blake renders the intense spiritual drama by contrasting the prone figure of Eliphaz, a representative of men grappling with suffering and divine mystery, with the hovering spectral form. The spirit, depicted with elongated and ethereal geometry, dominates the upper register, reflecting the terrifying, unearthly nature of the vision described in the sacred text. Although the immediate focus is on the confrontation between these two principal figures, the broader narrative context of Blake's Job series involves the supporting roles of both men and women as they observe or respond to Job's afflictions. Blake used the demanding technique of line engraving to achieve sharp detail and profound tonal shifts, emphasizing the mystical nature of the spiritual confrontation through stark illumination and deep shadow. The complete series, produced shortly before the artist's death, is considered a zenith of his illustrative career and remains highly influential today, with many prints available for study through public domain collections worldwide.