In this article Alice Dawson, artist and writer, explores the deeper meanings of three works by the famed spiritual artist William Blake.
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun (c. 1805)
‘The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun’ is one of four watercolours painted by William Blake between 1805 and 1810 depicting the Great Red Dragon in various scenes from the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament. They are part of a series of over 100 illustrations of the bible that Thomas Butts commissioned William Blake to paint.
The Book of Revelation, attributed to the prophet John, warns Christians to maintain and protect their faith through a series of John’s prophetic visions of the end of time, which portray the consequences of spiritual defection. ‘The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun’ illustrates the passage that describes “an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads” who descends upon “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” In this allegory, the dragon is an embodiment of Satan who seeks revenge against the woman because she has given birth to a devotee to God who will spread the Christian Faith.
The sanctity of the woman is shown as she is bathed in the sun and rests on a glowing crescent moon. Every other aspect of the painting is dark and without sunlight, she is surrounded by a tempest with lightning bolts and the impression of a turbulent sky controlled by the wings of the dragon. The dragon hovers above, waiting to engulf her and witness her demise, but God gives her wings so that she can fly to safety. The arms of both the woman and the dragon arch over each other in perfect symmetry, suggesting the duality of good and evil; they are connected and coexisting rather than disparate forces. The story and Blake’s illustration warn that both good and evil exist in all of us, and if we choose God, he will reward us with protection and love. In this work, Blake presents his belief that spiritual power - here represented in the purity and goodness of the women - will always prevail. Regardless of the circumstances, God will always be there to metaphorically give us wings.
The Temptation and Fall of Eve (1808)
The watercolour painted in 1808 is an illustration of John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’, depicting the moment of Eve’s temptation to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Suggested by the title and the physical position of Eve in the centre with Adam behind with his back turned, the blame for the misdemeanour against God falls entirely on Eve. Due to this biblical moment the Christian ideology reinforces male superiority as women are shown to be more susceptible to evil, a story which has led to the patriarchal societal system which prevails in Christian countries.
The colour palette is a dismal grey representing the grim reality of the moment and foreshadowing the devastation that will occur once Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden as a result of the fall, symbolising their banishment from the lush garden to a grey arid wasteland. The tree itself is depicted as dangerous with thorns surrounding it representing God’s command, whilst the fruit is painted with a yellow promising glow suggesting the temptation of the fruit, thus suggesting the prevailing desire for something forbidden.
This painting was commissioned by Blake’s patron Thomas Butts. Blake completed 13 illustrations of Milton’s epic poem, with separate iterations of each work commissioned by John Linnell at Thomas Butts. Blake illustrated Milton’s work more than that of any other writer and worked specifically to redeem any errors he perceived in Milton’s work. In many ways Blake existed outside the artistic cannon of his contemporaries, his work remains immortal due to his distinct and recognisable style which set him apart from the style in which other artists of his era worked.
The Death of Saint Joseph (1803)
‘The Death of Saint Joseph’ was painted by William Blake in 1803 using watercolour, graphite, and charcoal on wove paper. It depicts the death of Saint Joseph in the arms of his loving son and wife Jesus and Mary. There is little information about Joseph in the bible and no evidence of when and how his death occurred. Most biblical scholars believe it occurred before Jesus’ death due to the fact Joseph wasn’t present at the crucifixion. For this reason, many traditions hold that Joseph died in the arms of Mary and Jesus which has led the church to proclaim Joseph the patron saint of a ‘happy death’.
Blake's illustration portrays the ‘happy death’ with a ring of technicolour angels creating a rainbow over the three figures alluding to the bitter-sweet nature of the moment, a pathetic fallacy of the hope and despair and rain and shine nature of death, as Joseph leaves Mary and Jesus on Earth but joins God in heaven. Between the three figures and the arc of angels, Blake used line to create the impression of movement between the angels and the figures which suggests the movement of Joseph’s soul as it gradually transitions to heaven. The linear movement creates a sense of togetherness as the lines spread from the three figures to the arc of angels, creating a feeling of union and love as their spirits become one as Joseph ascends to heaven.
The three figures are painted in a white glow and whilst this symbolises purity and holiness, in Christianity white is also a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the immaculate conception, whereby Blake may be alluding to Jesus’ birth, presenting Joseph’s death as a full circle moment in which his task is complete and he can meet death with joy and satisfaction. His presentation of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in a white light symbolising the conception reflects his holy life through his holy death, showing how death for Joseph and others who live their life by God’s will is not a terrifying venture into the unknown but rather a gentle transition into the fullness of a life already begun.
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