Tiriel and his Children; verso: Female Figure with the Head of a Horse c. 1789

Editor: Here we have William Blake’s “Tiriel and his Children.” It’s undated, but rendered in watercolor. It feels somber, almost oppressive. What strikes you when you look at this work? Curator: It’s a powerful image of patriarchal authority, isn't it? Blake often critiqued rigid power structures. Consider the figures' postures: the daughters are literally kneeling, heads bowed. What does that visual subordination communicate to you about gender roles and power? Editor: It definitely highlights the disempowerment of the female figures within that structure. Is it a commentary on societal norms of his time? Curator: Precisely. Blake used mythology to challenge contemporary social and political landscapes. His art becomes a form of resistance. Perhaps it’s time we consider how these power dynamics continue to echo today. Editor: That’s a really interesting perspective. I hadn’t thought about it in terms of contemporary power structures. Curator: It shows how we should never stop asking questions about the art we view and how they connect to issues of equity.