The Wrath of Elihu

"The Wrath of Elihu" by William Blake is a powerful example of the artist’s late-career graphic work, executed as an engraving between 1825 and 1826. Classified specifically as a print, this piece is one of Blake’s renowned illustrations for the biblical Book of Job. Unlike his earlier paintings, this work utilizes the dense, expressive lines characteristic of the engraving process, allowing Blake to achieve dramatic chiaroscuro effects suitable for depicting profound spiritual conflict and divine judgment.

The composition centers on the youthful Elihu, one of the central men in the Job narrative, who addresses the suffering patriarch with intense spiritual fervor. Blake depicts Elihu not merely as a character but as a vessel of passionate critique, embodying the artist's Romantic interest in the sublime power of emotion. The scene is characterized by dynamic, swirling energy typical of Blake’s unique visual cosmology, where figures often appear contorted by internal or external spiritual forces. In the upper register, the artist integrates celestial elements; swirling forms resembling stars or cosmic clouds reinforce the divine and universal scale of Elihu’s discourse.

This influential masterwork of symbolic art is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving a vital example of 19th-century British printmaking. Because the original execution date places the work firmly in the public domain, the widespread availability of high-quality fine art prints has allowed scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to study the intricate details of Blake’s technique. Blake’s enduring legacy rests significantly on these late prints, which distill complex theological concepts into singularly powerful, unforgettable images.