The Just Upright Man is Laughed to Scorn (The Book of Job) 1821

Editor: This is William Blake's watercolor, The Just Upright Man is Laughed to Scorn, from the Book of Job. I’m struck by the material quality, that watery wash, and the figures seeming to emerge from the paper itself. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Blake, ever the material craftsman, employed a process of etching and watercoloring that was deeply tied to his social critique. These figures, rendered with such tangible form, highlight a tension between the physical world and spiritual suffering. How does Blake’s chosen medium itself contribute to this dynamic, given its inherent ephemerality? Editor: It makes the figures almost ghostly, yet solid, emphasizing that push and pull. I see the labor in the visible brushstrokes, too. Curator: Exactly! Blake's process underscores the tension between labor, material, and the spiritual narrative, offering a potent commentary on suffering and resilience. Editor: This gives me a new way to appreciate Blake's process as a form of social commentary!