Preliminary Sketch for ‘Christ Girding Himself with Strength’. Verso: Standing Figure with One Arm Raised c. 1805

Curator: Looking at William Blake’s "Preliminary Sketch for ‘Christ Girding Himself with Strength’" I feel an incredible sense of vulnerability. It’s so raw. Editor: Yes, there is an unfinished quality that highlights Blake's process; it reveals the labor behind his visionary output and that the image, though faint, is rendered on paper measuring approximately 50 by 42 centimeters. Curator: It's more than just a sketch; it feels like a glimpse into the very moment of creation. Those delicate lines hinting at Christ's form... I sense a deep yearning. Editor: And how fascinating that this tender rendering of Christ is, in fact, a preliminary study, suggesting a constant process of revision and refinement, driven by material and social pressures. Curator: Perhaps. For me, though, the sketch breathes with an almost ethereal quality, transcending the mundane. It asks us to consider the human and the divine intertwined. Editor: A connection no doubt facilitated by Blake’s own labor and, of course, the specific materiality of graphite on paper. We are left to wonder about Blake’s intentions, but I’m left thinking about the conditions that enabled it. Curator: Ultimately, both the seen and unseen aspects of Blake’s vision elevate it to something truly extraordinary. Editor: An output of the extraordinary effort and material realities that underpin all artistic creation.