The Sun in His Wrath 1820

William Blake made "The Sun in His Wrath" using watercolor and ink, media that are modest compared to the grand scale of his vision. Blake was a master printmaker. He developed his own illuminated printing to combine text and image, using the techniques of etching and engraving, but his use of watercolor is particularly striking here. Notice how the pigment sits on the surface, creating a shimmering, ethereal quality. This lends an otherworldly feel, appropriate to his visionary, prophetic style. Blake's emphasis on the handmade was also a kind of protest. In his era, industrialization was already transforming the world. He saw it as his role to keep alive a sense of individual imagination and skill. Every line, every wash of color is a testament to Blake’s personal engagement with his craft, offering a powerful counterpoint to the mechanized world. It reminds us that art is not just about what is depicted, but how.