The Water Turned Into Blood–The Boils and Blanes, from "Dalziels' Bible Gallery" 1865 - 1881

Thomas Dalziel’s "The Water Turned Into Blood–The Boils and Blanes," is an intricate engraving printed sometime in the 19th century. The work is divided into two distinct registers, each teeming with figures and details that contribute to the narrative's visual complexity. In the upper panel, the artist uses dense, parallel lines to create a scene of chaos. Figures lie prostrate while others wade through blood-red waters, all set against a backdrop of classical architecture rendered with precise, clean lines. Below, a courtyard scene unfolds with similarly detailed rendering. Here, too, the composition is dense, with figures arranged to convey a sense of communal suffering. Dalziel’s use of contrasting light and shadow, achieved through varied line weights, intensifies the emotional impact. The artist manipulates the medium to create a sense of depth. Through these formal choices, Dalziel invites viewers to contemplate the biblical narrative. The rigid structure of the composition, divided yet connected, mirrors the duality of divine action and human suffering.