William Blake (England, 1757-1827) engraving on wove India paper, with the word Proof engraved in the plate, lower right, from the series "Illustrations of the Book of Job," circa 1825. With text and imagery from Job 3:1-4, depicting Job raising his arms while surrounded by kneeling figures with bowed heads. Housed under plexiglass and in a wooden frame with white mat, plastic cover, and old gallery or dealer's tag affixed en verso to backing. Plate: 8 1/2" H x 6 5/8" W. Sheet: 17" H x 12 3/4" W. Frame: 23 1/2" H x 19 1/2" W. Ref.: Bindman 633/Binyon 113 ii/ii. Note: "John Linnell, who had commissioned the second set of watercolor illustrations to the Book of Job in 1821, entered into a formal agreement with Blake for the engravings on 25 March 1823…The agreement was for twenty engravings though in the event twenty-one subjects were engraved together with a title page. On 5 March 1825 Linnell went with Blake to the printer J. Lahee to see proofs being taken. The series is dated 8 March 1825 but the final engravings do not seem actually to have been ready until the end of March 1826 (Bentley 1969, pp.277, 300 and 327). At this time 215 sets of engravings marked 'Proof' were issued; these should be distinguished from the working proofs, on some of which Blake tried out designs for the borders. The word 'Proof' was then deleted and a further 100 sets were printed on drawing paper. According to John Linnell Jr, writing to Bernard Quaritch on 6 May 1892, Linnell, after the 1826 printing, 'put the plates away, & they were never again used after this time until the year 1874. At this time my father…had one hundred copies printed from the plates upon India paper.'" (Courtesy of Tate Britain)

CONDITION: Overall very good condition. A richly-inked impression with strong contrasts. Untrimmed with full margins. With some wear and soiling to frame.