Songs of Innocence: The Divine Image 1789 - 1825

This color relief etching, "The Divine Image," was created by William Blake around 1789, as part of his "Songs of Innocence". Blake was a radical voice in late 18th-century England, deeply skeptical of institutional power, particularly the Church. Here, Blake's combination of text and image creates a powerful commentary on the nature of divinity. Blake's verses suggest that God is not a distant authority, but rather, exists within the human heart, manifest in qualities like mercy, pity, peace, and love. Made during the Age of Enlightenment, when reason and scientific inquiry were ascending, Blake challenges the era's emphasis on rationalism, and the deism which saw God as a clockmaker uninvolved in humanity. Blake's art encourages us to find the divine in human connection and empathy. To understand Blake, scholars consult his illuminated books, his poetry, and the social and religious history of his time, revealing the enduring power of art to challenge prevailing norms.