Line engraving on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Art Fund
Collection
Illustrations to ‘The Book of Job’
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-blake-39" aria-label="More by William Blake" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">William Blake</a>
Job and his Family
Purchased with the assistance of a special grant from the National Gallery and donations from the Art Fund, Lord Duveen and others, and presented through the Art Fund 1919
actions: postures and motions
adults
animals: mammals
architecture
astronomy
Bible: Old Testament
book - non-specific
boy
children
church
evening
family
family
fine arts and music
girl
group
groups
hill
instrument, horn
instrument, stringed
Job
Job, chapter 1
kneeling
landscape
man
moon
objects
people
prayer
reading, writing, printed matter
religion and belief
religious
sheep
society
sunset
times of the day
townscape, distant
townscapes / man-made features
tree
universal religious imagery
woman
<p>This illustrates verses 1-3 of chapter 1 of the Old Testament Book of Job. Job is prosperous and pious. However, he is guided by the books of the Law which lie open before him. The instruments which should be used for praising the Lord hang silent above him. Satan tells the Lord that Job's piety stems from his material prosperity. Satan is allowed to test Job by destroying this prosperity. Job's subsequent trials which make him recognize his error of being pious only according to the law, are depicted in Blake's set of Job engravings. Blake's interest in depicting Job's trials is paralleled by his later exploration of Dante's experiences in the illustrations to the Divine Comedy. Some of these are included in this display.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
paper unique line engraving
15 October 2001 – 7 July 2002
2002-07-07
15 October 2001 – 7 July 2002
2002-07-07
2001-10-15
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2001-10-15
William Blake and His Followers
Collection based display
31 March 2007 – 10 June 2007
2007-06-10
31 March 2007 – 10 June 2007
2007-06-10
2007-03-31
Pallant House Gallery (Chichester, UK)
2007-03-31
Poets in the Landscape: The Romantic Spirit in British Art
Loan-out
6 August 2010 – 9 April 2012
2012-04-09
6 August 2010 – 9 April 2012
2012-04-09
2010-08-06
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2010-08-06
Romanticism Introduction
Collection based display
13 May 2013 – 6 October 2013
2013-10-06
13 May 2013 – 6 October 2013
2013-10-06
2013-05-13
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2013-05-13
Landscape in Blake
Collection based display
Job and his Family
image: 184 × 150 mm
Purchased with the assistance of a special grant from the National Gallery and donations from the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a>, Lord Duveen and others, and presented through the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 1919
<p>This illustrates verses 1-3 of chapter 1 of the  Old Testament Book of Job. Job is prosperous and  pious. However, he is guided by the books of the  Law which lie open before him. The instruments  which should be used for praising the Lord hang  silent above him. Satan tells the Lord that Job's  piety stems from his material prosperity. Satan is  allowed to test Job by destroying this prosperity.  Job's subsequent trials which make him recognize  his error of being pious only according to the  law, are depicted in Blake's set of Job  <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/engraving" title="Glossary definition for 'Engraving'"><span>engravings</span></a>. Blake's interest in depicting Job's  trials is paralleled by his later exploration of  Dante's experiences in the illustrations to the  Divine Comedy. Some of these are included in this  display.</p>
Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-job-and-his-family-a00012" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00012</span></a> [from] <b>Illustrations to <i>The Book of Job</i>: Engravings</b>
1823–6/1874 [<span>A00012</span>-<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-job-and-his-family-restored-to-prosperity-a00032" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00032</span></a>; <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-title-page-of-the-book-of-job-t05845" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>T05845</span></a>; complete]
<br/></p>
<p>A 00012–32 /-
<br/>Twenty-two line engravings on india paper laid on drawing paper approx. 510×345 (20×13 1/2)
<br/>Purchased with the assistance of a special grant from the National Gallery and donations from the National Art-Collections Fund, Lord Duveen and others, and presented through the National Art-Collections Fund 1919
<br/>PROVENANCE John Linnell; his heirs, sold Christie's 15 March 1918 (183) £33.12.0.bt Martin for the donors
<br/>LITERATURE Gilchrist 1863, 1, pp.283–4, 297; Wicksteed 1910 and 1924; Russell <i>Engravings</i> 1912, 102–15 no.33: Keynes <i>Bibliography</i> 1921, pp.179–82 no.55: Binyon and Keynes 1935, series repr. vol.VI; Keynes <i>Engravings</i> 1950, pp.16–17, series repr.pls. 42–68; Keynes <i>Writings</i> 1957, pp.869–70, 872, 874, 876–7; S. Foster Damon, <i>Blake's Job</i> 1966, series repr.; Bentley <i>Blake Records</i> 1969, pp.234 n.i, 277–397 <i>passim</i>, 586–605; Andrew Wright <i>Blake's Job: A Commentary</i> 1972, series repr.; Lindberg 1973, pp.24–32, 40–52, 167–76, 183–352 nos.0A–21A, series repr.; Bentley <i>Blake Books</i> 1977, pp.517–24 no.421; Bindman <i>Graphic Works</i> 1978, pp.486–7 nos.625–46, series repr.; Mitchell 1978, pp.41–2; Essick <i>Printmaker</i> 1981, pp.92, 105, 220, 234–50, 252; Robert N. Essick, ‘Blake's Engravings to the Book of Job; An Essay on their Graphic Form with a Catalogue of their States and Printings’ in David Bindman, ed., <i>William Blake's Illustrations of the Book of Job</i> 1987, pp.35–101.
<br/></p>
<p>John Linnell, who had commissioned the second set of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/watercolour" title="Glossary definition for 'Watercolour'"><span>watercolour</span></a> illustrations to the Book of Job in 1821, entered into a formal agreement with Blake for the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/engraving" title="Glossary definition for 'Engraving'"><span>engravings</span></a> on 25 March 1823: Linnell was to pay Blake £5 a plate or £100 for the set, and in addition he agreed to give Blake an extra £100 if the profits of the work made this possible. The agreement was for twenty engravings though in the event twenty-one subjects were engraved together with a title-page. On 5 March 1825 Linnell went with Blake to the printer J. Lahee to see proofs being taken. The series is dated 8 March 1825 but the final engravings do not seem actually to have been ready until the end of March 1826 (Bentley 1969, pp.277, 300 and 327). At this time 215 sets of engravings marked ‘<a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/proof" title="Glossary definition for 'Proof'"><span>Proof</span></a>’ were issued; these should be distinguished from the working proofs, on some of which Blake tried out designs for the borders. The word ‘Proof’ was then deleted (traces can be seen on <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-satan-before-the-throne-of-god-a00013" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00013</span></a>) and a further 100 sets were printed on <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a> <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/paper" title="Glossary definition for 'Paper'"><span>paper</span></a>. According to John Linnell Jr, writing to Bernard Quaritch on 6 May 1892, Linnell, after the 1826 printing, ‘put the plates away, &amp; they were never again used after this time until the year 1874. At this time my father...had one hundred copies printed from the plates upon India paper’. Although the distinctive cover is now missing, it seems that the Tate Gallery's copies of the engravings are from this 1874 printing. The original plates were given by Herbert Linnell to the British Museum <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/print" title="Glossary definition for 'Print'"><span>Print</span></a> Room on 28 May 1919.
<br/>
<br/>Each engraving is inscribed ‘W Blake inv. &amp; sculp’. In addition each is inscribed in the lower margin with variations of the text ‘London. Published as the Act directs March 8:1825 by William Blake No3 Fountain Court Strand’; the first actual design (<span>A00012</span>) is mistakenly dated with the year 1828 and ‘Will<sup>m</sup>’ is sometimes substituted for ‘William’, while the punctuation is also slightly varied.
<br/>
<br/>More importantly, the borders of each design bear a number of inscriptions taken from the Bible or with variations of biblical texts. These add a verbal gloss to the designs which in themselves embody Blake's critical reaction to the original story as set out in the Old Testament. The fullest analysis is in Lindberg though Wicksteed, Damon 1966 and Wright also contain full commentaries. Blake's interpretation of his text is only given in summary form in this catalogue.
<br/>
<br/>These engravings were formerly inventoried as nos.3372 i–xxii. The new inventory numbers omit the title-page.
<br/>
<br/><span>A00012</span> <b>Job and his Family</b>
<br/>
<br/>Line engraving 184×150 (7 1/4×5 7/8); platemark 198×164 (7 13/16×6 7/16)</p>
<p>Inscribed ‘W Blake inv &amp; sculp’ b.r., ‘London. Published as the Act directs. March 8:1828 [sic]. by Will Blake N3 Fountain Court Strand’ below, ‘1’ t.r., and with texts given below.
<br/></p>
<p>Illustration no.1: Job, i, 1–3. Blake quotes as main title, ‘Thus did Job continually’ from Job, i, 5. What Job did was to pray the words inscribed above: ‘Our Father which art in Heaven/hallowed be thy Name’ (Matthew, vi, 9; Luke, xi, 2). Blake stresses the negative quality of this prayer by quoting below, ‘The Letter Killeth/The Spirit giveth Life’ (II Corinthians, iii, 6) followed by ‘It is Spiritually Discerned’ (I Corinthians, ii, 14). The scene is set for the whole series by the straightforward quotation from Job, i, 1–2, ‘There was a Man in the/Land of Uz whose Name/was Job. &amp; that Man/was perfect &amp; upright/&amp; one that feared God/&amp; eschewed Evil &amp; there/was born unto him Seven/Sons &amp; Three Daughters’.
<br/>
<br/>To add to the negative impact of this design Blake shows musical instruments hanging unplayed on the tree, the sun setting while the moon rises, and the sheep fast asleep. For a recent discovery that suggests, however, that even as late as the final state of this engraving the negative impact of the inscription was much less evident see the introduction to this section, p.185.</p>
<p>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Martin Butlin, <i>William Blake 1757-1827</i>, Tate Gallery Collections, V, London 1990
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-09-22T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: postures and motions adults animals: mammals architecture astronomy Bible: Old Testament book - non-specific boy children church evening family family fine arts and music girl group groups hill instrument, horn instrument, stringed Job Job, chapter 1 kneeling landscape man moon objects people prayer reading, writing, printed matter religion and belief religious sheep society sunset times of the day townscape, distant townscapes / man-made features tree universal religious imagery woman