Composition Sketch, Possibly a Subject from Dante. Verso: A Man Standing over a Figure Reclining on a Bed c. 1824 - 1827

Editor: Here we have William Blake's "Composition Sketch, Possibly a Subject from Dante," of indeterminate date, residing at the Tate. The ethereal lines give it such a dreamlike, almost haunting quality. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, Blake! Even his sketches have a certain visionary quality. It’s like peering into the man's mind as he wrestles with the inferno. Those fleeting lines suggest a profound struggle, don’t you think? A battle between the earthly and the divine, perhaps? Editor: I can see that. So, beyond Dante, what echoes do you hear in this piece? Curator: Well, consider Blake's own mythology, his rebellion against the established order. It's as if he's sketching not just Dante's world, but his own spiritual landscape. It's a fleeting glimpse into a world only Blake could truly see. I find that incredibly moving, don’t you? Editor: Absolutely! It feels like catching a whisper of genius. Curator: Precisely! A whisper worth heeding.