Satan Before the Throne of God 1825 - 1826

Editor: This is William Blake's "Satan Before the Throne of God," created around 1825-1826. It’s an etching and engraving. I'm immediately struck by the dense imagery and the contrast between the divine and what appears to be suffering. What symbolic meaning do you see within this composition? Curator: The emotional weight in Blake's image is carried primarily through his visual language. Notice how Blake positions the Ancient of Days within a mandorla shape? This almond halo evokes the divine. Blake pulls from centuries of such artistic and spiritual imagery. Editor: That makes sense. I see the figures surrounding God, and what looks like turmoil below. Is Blake saying something specific about good versus evil here? Curator: Consider how Satan's presence isn't necessarily adversarial in this moment; Blake might suggest that even seemingly opposing forces participate in a divine plan, echoing theological concepts like the *felix culpa*, the fortunate fall. Do you observe that everything exists within these frames which appear like tendrils, rooting the image to a deeper narrative? Editor: Now that you mention it, that intertwined border does give a sense of connectedness, almost as if everything is part of the same organic whole. It’s less about opposition, more about interconnectedness. Curator: Precisely! Blake challenges us to delve beyond simple dichotomies and view existence through a lens of complex interrelation, constantly referencing collective cultural memory. Editor: I see so many potential layers in the etching and engraving. I never would have thought about that interplay simply from observation! Curator: Indeed, and there is much more to explore in Blake's fascinating symbolic world, built from images of the collective past.