The Goblin 1820

Editor: So, here we have "The Goblin," a drawing made around 1820 by William Blake, using ink, watercolor, and pen. There is so much going on. I’m immediately struck by the contrast between the domestic scene below and that immense, somewhat terrifying figure looming above. How do you interpret the relationships within this piece? Curator: The efficacy of this image emerges from its symbolic ordering. Notice the constellation of stars dotted across the giant’s body, literally embodying the heavens. Contrast that with the solid geometry of the buildings below. Blake constructs a deliberate visual dichotomy, between ethereal and material realms, celestial and terrestrial experiences. Note the dynamic tension fostered through a top-down composition. Editor: That’s helpful. So the figure isn’t just imposing because of its size but also because it’s inherently… celestial? But how does that giant, then, relate to the more intimate human scene beneath it? What does that suggest? Curator: Observe the lighting—isn't it curious? Notice how Blake uses washes of colour and ink to manipulate light, emphasizing the luminosity emanating from both the heavens above and the windows within the houses below, forming echoing visual geometries? The eye moves easily across these structures. It asks us to consider the nature of interior and exterior, what we illuminate versus what we obscure. Editor: That's interesting! I hadn’t noticed the repetition in the sources of light. So, what at first seems like a straightforward contrast between large and small, fantastical and mundane, is actually… much more layered than that. Thanks for helping me see all of that. Curator: Indeed. By analysing compositional structures, light play and careful placement of the images, we glean a deeper understanding of Blake’s message.