Los Entering the Grave 1820

Curator: William Blake’s “Los Entering the Grave,” dating from around 1820 and currently residing at the Yale Center for British Art, presents us with a watercolor drawing of compelling, if ambiguous, narrative. Editor: The immediate feeling I get is one of cautious hope amidst encroaching darkness. The way the light seems to radiate from the figure as he moves toward the darkness suggests a beacon confronting an abyss. Curator: Absolutely. The historical and sociopolitical contexts of Blake's time are crucial to understanding this work. Blake was deeply critical of industrializing England and saw in its spiritual malaise a kind of societal descent into the grave. This image, therefore, could be interpreted as a representation of the artist, as Los, the prophetic figure from Blake's mythology, confronting this spiritual darkness. Editor: I'm drawn to the light bursting forth. That radiant orb Los carries reminds me of ancient solar deities or perhaps a kind of condensed creative energy, challenging conventional iconography. It hints at resurrection, not just obliteration. What do you think of the chains lining the artwork edges? Curator: The chains emphasize confinement, control. Los is forever battling the restrictive forces of reason, of a corrupt establishment that seeks to quash imagination and spiritual vision. Consider the period—early 19th century—an era grappling with shifting power structures, ideological battles. Editor: Blake uses religious symbolism, myth, and Romantic visual imagery. This approach reflects a wider artistic trend: searching for new spiritual metaphors as the old order faded. Curator: Precisely. And this is particularly interesting from an intersectional perspective, in that Los appears to confront the issues of gender, race, and politics during Blake’s context in history. How those intersections meet, blend and challenge our readings of him in society—Los seems representative of change. Editor: Seeing this again, there is something timelessly pertinent. Whether as Los or another cultural symbol that brings life to places in shadow. It suggests the necessity of action, of light pushing against darkness, and our engagement with society’s moral structures. Curator: For me, considering the complex historical context in the image, as well as the artistic legacy it built, enriches it with relevance. Editor: Yes, and for me, Blake’s art shows us that images speak with many tongues—mythical, spiritual, personal—to create conversation that crosses time and identity.