Project Description
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and engraver. From his youth, Blake was enchanted with engraving, having seen reproductions of works by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Albrecht Dürer. At age fourteen he was apprenticed to engraver James Basire for seven years, during which he developed a great appreciation for Christian imagery. After apprenticing with Basire, Blake went on to study at the Royal Academy, only to rebel against the style touted by the Academy’s director. Blake much preferred the realism and precision of his early influences. The Illustrations for the Book of Job are considered by many to be Blake’s finest works of engraving, and one of his few commercial successes. Largely unknown during his lifetime, the story of Job resonated with Blake. In his study of the Book of Job, William Blake noted every detail. As he created his engravings, he created a detailed symbolism that could be read as deeply as the Book of Job itself. Even though Blake eschewed organized religion, he held deep reverence for God and the Bible, and he meticulously worked and reworked every detail of these engravings. From the very first engraving Blake warns that the images are to be discerned spiritually: “The Letter Killeth, The Spirit Giveth Life.”
-Constantine Botimer, Class of 2019