Job's Sons and Daughters Overwhelmed by Satan

Art Historical Context

William Blake's *Job's Sons and Daughters Overwhelmed by Satan* (1825) captures a dramatic moment from the Book of Job in the Bible, where Satan unleashes on Job's family as part of a divine test of faith. Created as one of 22 engravings in Blake's *Illustrations of the Book Job*, this work embodies the artist's profound engagement with themes of suffering, divine mystery, and human resilience. As a key figure in British Romanticism, Blake infused the scene with visionary intensity, portraying swirling chaos and ethereal figures to evoke spiritual turmoil. Rendered in engraving on thick paper using Blake's innovative relief etching technique—which he developed to combine drawing, printing, and coloring in one process—this print exemplifies his mastery of line and form. The intricate, muscular figures and dynamic composition heighten the emotional impact, making the divine wrath palpable. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection (Department CG-E, Portfolio classification), this engraving reflects Blake's late-career synthesis of mysticism and craftsmanship. Printed just before his death, it remains a testament to his lifelong quest to illuminate scripture through art, inviting visitors to ponder the interplay of fate and faith.

About the Artist

William Blake · 1757–1827

William Blake (1757–1827) stands as one of the most visionary and unconventional artists in British history, a poet-painter-printmaker whose mystical imagination and radical vision profoundly shaped the Romantic movement. Born in London's Soho district, Blake experienced visions from childhood—claiming to see angels in trees at age eight—and these spiritual encounters would guide his art throughou...