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

Editor: So, this is "Thenot, with Colinet Waving his Arms in Sorrow" by William Blake. It's a small engraving, and it feels so intensely melancholic. What do you feel when you look at it? Curator: It's utterly Blakean, isn’t it? That raw emotionality etched in miniature. For me, the sorrow feels almost performative, like a stylized grief. Look at the way the lines create a sense of frantic energy, especially around Colinet. Do you get a sense of staged drama? Editor: I see what you mean...the waving arms, almost theatrical. It is less sorrow, more showing sorrow. I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Exactly! And sometimes, isn't that performance itself a form of truth? An expression, however heightened, of something deeply felt? I find it so moving. Editor: That’s a new way of looking at Blake for me. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Blake always leaves you with something to chew on, doesn’t he?