Who painted The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born?

The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born was painted by William Blake in 1825.

Where can I see The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born?

The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born?

The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born

William Blake , 1825

The Book of Job: Pl. 8, Let the Day perish wherein I was Born is a work on paper by the Romanticist artist William Blake. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This 1825 print by William Blake is the eighth plate in his illustrated series based on the biblical Book of Job. It captures a moment of profound sorrow from the narrative.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts Job's anguished lamentation, surrounded by two kneeling figures, conveying the depth of his suffering through expressive postures and facial contortions.

Technique & Style

Executed in black and white, the work utilizes stark light-dark contrasts to amplify emotional intensity, characteristic of Blake's imaginative and symbolic visual approach.

History & Provenance

Created in Blake's later period, this piece reflects his established style as a London-based poet, painter, and printmaker known for works of deep imaginative and symbolic depth.

Context

The print's emphasis on emotional expression aligns with Romantic-era artistic values, prioritizing feeling over realism, as highlighted by the accompanying biblical text from Job.