Los Supporting the Sun [recto] c. 1793

Editor: This is William Blake’s pencil drawing, "Los Supporting the Sun," from around 1793. It feels incredibly raw, like a quickly captured moment of intense effort. What do you make of it? Curator: The immediate visual echo I perceive is Atlas, burdened by the world. But consider this: Los is a character Blake invented. He represents the prophetic imagination, a creative force battling against reason and dogma. Editor: So the sun isn't literal? Curator: Perhaps not. What other symbolic weight could the sun carry? The 'sun' could represent enlightenment itself, or perhaps the oppressive weight of societal expectations and the established order. Notice how Los strains, almost pained, to hold it up. His effort embodies the struggle of artistic vision against a world that often resists it. Editor: That makes the raw, almost unfinished quality of the drawing even more powerful, as if the struggle is ongoing, never truly resolved. The lightning strikes that radiate outwards almost seem to threaten him. Curator: Exactly. Think about the emotional implications of light and darkness for Blake, a dichotomy which represents knowledge and ignorance. He deliberately uses Los to fight back against Enlightenment values of empiricism that repress the spiritual. He wants to give emotions dignity. How does it feel knowing this? Editor: That tension between reason and imagination definitely comes through now. It adds a layer of complexity. Curator: The power of visual symbols endures through art history, reminding us of how images crystallize both emotional and cultural truths. Blake invites us to delve into our own imaginations and support our own creative suns!