The Ghost of Samuel Appearing to Saul c. 1800

William Blake rendered this watercolor titled "The Ghost of Samuel Appearing to Saul" sometime between 1793 and 1805. Here, the spectral Samuel appears to Saul, a king marked by impending doom. Observe Saul's gesture of supplication, hands raised in a plea for divine intervention. It echoes poses found in ancient Roman depictions of defeated barbarians, a universal symbol of submission. Yet, it also reminds me of the "orant" figures in early Christian art, souls caught between worlds. Note too, the figure engulfed in flames. This visceral motif carries echoes of antiquity, from the Furies of Greek tragedy to medieval depictions of Hell's torments. The visual language conveys a primal, shared understanding of suffering, an emotional bridge connecting epochs. Such imagery reflects our collective memory, the return of archetypes in the theater of human experience, and the enduring power of visual symbols across time.