The Night of Enitharmon's Joy 1795

William Blake made this watercolour painting, “The Night of Enitharmon’s Joy,” sometime between 1795 and 1805. It depicts a scene of dark mythology, full of symbols drawn from Blake’s own invented cosmology. Here, we see a gathering of figures from Blake’s prophetic books: the female figure of Enitharmon, the serpent of materialism, the spectre of reason as a bat-like demon, and the brooding donkey, emblem of stubborn ignorance. The painting offers a powerful critique of Enlightenment rationalism, and reveals Blake’s wider resistance to the social norms and institutions of his time. Blake was deeply immersed in the radical politics of the late 18th century. His art combines social commentary with personal spiritual belief in defiance of orthodox religion. The image is rich with cultural references that would have been well understood by his contemporaries. We can research these references in the archives of the period – to better understand the social and institutional context that gave rise to Blake's unique art.