Sketch for ‘Tiriel Supporting the Dying Myratana’. Verso: Sketch for ‘Tiriel Supporting the Dying Myratana’ c. 1786 - 1789

Curator: Here we have William Blake’s sketch for ‘Tiriel Supporting the Dying Myratana’, held at the Tate. It’s a preliminary drawing, showing the barest bones of a tragic scene. Editor: It's so delicate, almost ghostly. The figures seem to be fading away, dissolving into the paper itself. Curator: Blake often explored mortality and the burdens of the human condition. Tiriel, the central figure of Blake's poem, is seen here offering comfort to the expiring Myratana. We see this scene is about duty and loss. Editor: I find it moving how Blake captures the weight of sorrow with such minimal lines. It’s as if he is inviting us to complete the emotional landscape ourselves. It feels very personal and vulnerable. Curator: Blake's visual language is so evocative, drawing on a reservoir of shared grief. Editor: Looking at Blake’s sketch, I’m reminded that sometimes the most profound statements are made through whispers, not shouts.