Thenot, with Colinet Waving his Arms in Sorrow Possibly 1821 - 1977

Editor: We're looking at William Blake's "Thenot, with Colinet Waving his Arms in Sorrow." It's striking how the figures are so stark against the landscape. What do you see in the composition itself? Curator: The density of line work in the trees contrasts with the relative openness of the figures, creating a tension. Note how the figures are framed: one by the implied verticality of the other, the other by the slope of the hill. Editor: So the composition itself reinforces the emotional contrast? Curator: Precisely. Observe how the lines direct the eye, and how that shapes our reading of the scene's inherent dynamics. Editor: That's a great point; I hadn't noticed the way the lines really do lead your eye around. Curator: Indeed. By examining the formal choices Blake made, we gain a richer understanding of the work.