Illustration to Milton`s Comus 1820

Curator: William Blake's "Illustration to Milton's Comus," created around 1820 using watercolor and drawing, is a truly captivating work. The figures seem to be caught between two worlds. What strikes you most upon seeing this piece? Editor: I find it very intriguing that the style is classified as Romanticism, which I always imagined to be defined by sweeping brushstrokes and dramatic scenery. Instead, we have figures that are thinly drawn, and they remind me of classical sculptures. What's at play in this image from a Formalist's point of view? Curator: Well, let's consider the interplay between line and color. Notice the clear, precise contours defining each figure. Blake uses line to create distinct forms and to separate them from the background. These very shapes contain carefully applied washes of watercolor, primarily used to accentuate the form's underlying structure and even its metaphysical intent. The arrangement in the picture plane leads our eye in a predictable path. What affect does the scale of these figures have on you? Editor: I can see how my attention moves around the bodies through the artist's clever organization of line and form. To answer your question, their bodies don't convey a sense of movement. I find that strange given it’s an allegorical artwork with mythological themes. I thought there would be action in a scene of transformation or revelation. Curator: And it is this very tension between the static quality and its symbolic gestures which gives Blake's work its dynamism. How can we decode this paradox? This tension embodies what defines Blake's radical Romanticism. Instead of depicting fleeting moments, he captures eternal states of being, using form and color to articulate complex spiritual truths. Do you see his use of symbolism within the picture plane? Editor: Absolutely. The eagle, and even the direction the characters are facing. This really highlights the blending of styles across a multitude of traditions. I appreciate your insight on Blake's use of color to amplify the shape. Curator: The marriage of structure and metaphysics creates meaning. Editor: This exercise really challenged my perspective of both Romanticism, and decoding what it is to see the potential in lines on paper.