The Circle of Gluttons (from Dante's "Divine Comedy"); verso: a soaring figure amid stars, probably for "Enoch" 1824 - 1827

Editor: This ethereal watercolor by William Blake, titled "The Circle of Gluttons," pulls me right in. It's unsettling, with those figures flailing in the water beneath what looks like a crumbling, cavernous landscape. What sort of vision do you think Blake was trying to conjure here? Curator: Blake, bless his visionary heart, always danced on the edge of worlds seen and unseen. Look at the swirling chaos, yes, but also the contrasting light emanating from that archway. It's not just about gluttony; it's about the struggle for redemption, isn't it? That striving for something beyond the mire. Doesn’t it remind you of our own daily battles? Editor: I suppose so, that search for light... Curator: Exactly. And what do you make of the verso? The soaring figure? Is it Enoch ascending, or Blake himself yearning for transcendence? Perhaps it’s both. Editor: That’s a perspective shift I really needed to hear. Thanks! Curator: Art does that, doesn't it? A gentle nudge, a new lens.