Christ in the Carpenter’s Shop: The Humility of the Saviour 

Editor: This is William Blake’s "Christ in the Carpenter’s Shop." It’s a watercolor with delicate lines, depicting the Holy Family. I notice the tools and workshop setting. What can you tell me about the materials and how they relate to the meaning? Curator: Notice how Blake elevates the tools of carpentry—the saw, the set square—placing them alongside religious figures. This challenges a strict hierarchy between labor and the divine. What does it suggest about the value of work itself? Editor: So, the act of making is itself sacred? Curator: Precisely. And consider the social context: Blake critiqued industrialization. By idealizing a pre-industrial workshop, he links spiritual purity to craft production, creating a powerful statement on labor. Does that change how you see the image? Editor: Definitely. It reframes the entire composition. Thanks!