COLLECTION NAME:
Rylands Collection
Record
Image Number:
JRL1215652
Reference Number:
R44332
Link to Catalogue:
Image Title:
Job and His Family Restored to Prosperity
Parent Work Title:
Illustrations of the Book of Job
Creator:
Blake, William, 1757-1827
Creator Role:
Illustrator
Date Created:
1825
Publication Details:
London: Published by William Blake
Page/Sheet:
Plate 21
Image Sequence Number:
021
Description:
Single line engraving in black ink. Blake has made this plate immediately comparable to the first illustration 'Job and His Family'. Similarly Job and his descendants are clustered under their tree, yet here they counter an apparent idleness in the first plate by being depicted as a standing crowd, engaged in a zestfully saluting the heavens with instruments that formerly lay unused. This might be a comment on Job's idle participation in his faith at the beginning of the Book. Another compositional change is the inverting of the Sun and Moon from the first plate. If left and right constitute West and East, then it might be assumed that in the beginning Blake depicted the sun setting on Job and his family, whereas now it rises in the typical motif of new beginnings and regeneration. The overruling difference from the opening scene of Job is the family's involvement within their faith. Before they were depicted listening to Job reciting from the Holy Scriptures, following only the literal word of God. Now they surrender their creative bodies to Christianity not in quiet contemplation, but in a festival of celebration.
Language Code:
eng-GB
Subject:
Bible. Job
Subject:
Bible. Old Testament. Job- Illustrations
Subject:
Bible. Old Testament
Category of Material:
Printed
Sub-Category:
Illustrated works
Technique Used:
Engraving (printing process)
Medium:
Ink
Support:
Paper
Item Height:
210 mm
Item Width:
160 mm
Current Repository:
The University of Manchester Library, U.K.
Rights Holder - Image:
The University of Manchester Library
Rights holder - Work:
The University of Manchester Library
Bibliographic Citation:
Blake, William, 'Illustrations of the Book of Job' (London: published by William Blake, 1825)
Notes:
21 leaves of plates. The plate descriptions have been supplied by Simon Spier.
Date Captured (yyyy-mm-dd):
2012-03-20
Multi Page Number:
150
Image Creation Technique:
Digital capture by Heritage Imaging, The University of Manchester Library
Date Image Added (yyyy-mm):
2012-07
Metadata Language:
eng-GB
Job and His Family Restored to Prosperity
