Behold Now Behemoth, Which I Made With Thee (The Book of Job) 1821

Editor: This is William Blake's "Behold Now Behemoth, Which I Made With Thee (The Book of Job)." It's difficult to pinpoint an exact date, and it appears to be a watercolor. The scene is so strange and evocative. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Blake's work is always an invitation to consider power dynamics. The figures above, seemingly observing, are they complicit in the suffering below? Are the monsters metaphors for uncontrollable forces, or are they symbols of oppression enacted by those in power? Editor: Oppression? I hadn't considered that. Curator: Blake was deeply critical of societal structures. Consider the historical context: Industrial Revolution, social inequality. Are these beasts reflections of those anxieties? Editor: I see it now! Thanks for helping me unpack that. Curator: Understanding Blake requires grappling with the political landscape of his time and how it shapes our interpretation even today.