William BlakeBritish, 1757–1827Job's Despair
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
Washington, D.C., United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1943.3.1683
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- National Gallery of Art
- Image: National Gallery of Art — Museum open access
Meanwhile, in the life of William Blake
The whole lifeby the time of death (1827)
Fewer than thirty copies of the “Songs” sold
At the time of his death Blake had sold fewer than 30 copies of “Songs of Innocence and of Experience”: he was largely unrecognised during his life.
12 August 1827
His last day: a portrait of Catherine and hymns
On 12 August 1827 Blake worked relentlessly on his Dante series until the end; then, it is reported, he asked his weeping wife to stay as she was and drew her portrait (“you have ever been an angel to me”; the portrait is lost), began to sing hymns and verses, and at six that evening, after promising her that he would be with her always, died.
12 August 1827
Died
![Ginevra de' Benci [obverse], Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1474/1478](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/8f29e3c9-a289-4d53-abf0-31a66e9e98fa/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
![Wreath of Laurel, Palm, and Juniper with a Scroll inscribed Virtutem Forma Decorat [reverse], Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1474/1478](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/ff62e8d0-45c4-498f-ad36-6358de827e04/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
