Who painted Job's Comforters?

Job's Comforters was painted by William Blake in 1825.

Where can I see Job's Comforters?

Job's Comforters is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Job's Comforters?

Job's Comforters is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Job's Comforters

William Blake , 1825

Job's Comforters is an ink print by the Romanticist artist William Blake. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1825, *Job’s Comforters* is an engraving by William Blake, the London‑based poet‑artist whose work bridges visual art and literature. Part of a series illustrating the biblical Book of Job, the print captures a moment of profound distress, rendered in Blake’s distinctive symbolic language.

Subject & Meaning

The composition shows the biblical figure Job seated in naked vulnerability, his head bowed, while a circle of clothed interlocutors raise their arms in a gesture of prayer or consolation. The stark contrast between Job’s exposed form and the surrounding figures underscores themes of suffering, false comfort, and the limits of human empathy.

Technique & Style

Executed with fine copper engraving, Blake employs intricate line work to model flesh and fabric, while cross‑hatching creates a brooding, storm‑laden atmosphere in the background. The chiaroscuro effect heightens emotional intensity, reflecting Romantic concerns with individual feeling and the sublime power of nature.

History & Provenance

Blake produced the print during his later years, after a brief residence in Felpham, and it remained within his limited print runs. After his death, the work entered private collections before being acquired by major institutions, where it is now cited as a key example of his biblical illustration series.

Context

*Job’s Comforters* belongs to the Romantic movement’s preoccupation with personal anguish and the imagination’s capacity to transcend ordinary experience. By visualising a biblical episode of trial, Blake aligns with contemporary writers who explored the tension between divine providence and human suffering.