I am young and ye are very old - William Blake
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A fine art engraving by William Blake from his Illustrations of the Book of Job series, depicting Elihu addressing Job and his companions.
This engraving is the twelfth plate from William Blake's Illustrations of the Book of Job, a series produced between 1823 and 1826. The work depicts Elihu speaking to Job and his three friends. Blake uses a distinct visual language, placing the figures within a stark, nocturnal setting illuminated by a starry sky. The composition is divided between the central narrative scene and the surrounding text, which is integrated into the design through decorative borders and marginal figures.
Blake employs fine, precise lines to define the musculature of the figures and the texture of their robes. The central figure of Elihu stands with arms outstretched, contrasting with the seated, contemplative postures of Job and his companions. The text, written in Blake's characteristic hand, flows around the image, creating a unified page where word and picture function together. The scene draws from the biblical narrative of Job, specifically the moment when the youngest of the speakers, Elihu, addresses the elders.
As a master of relief etching and engraving, Blake demonstrates his technical control here. The shading is achieved through cross-hatching and varied line weights, providing depth to the figures against the dark background. The marginal illustrations include small, ethereal figures that echo the themes of divine instruction and human frailty mentioned in the text. This series is widely considered one of Blake's most accomplished graphic achievements, reflecting his lifelong engagement with biblical themes and his unique approach to printmaking. The print captures the tension between the youthful speaker and the aged listeners, a dynamic that Blake renders with both psychological clarity and formal precision. This museum-grade print preserves the clarity of the original copperplate engraving, allowing for a close examination of Blake's line work and the integration of his poetic text.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
I am young and ye are very old - William Blake
Artist Biography
William Blake
He married Catherine Boucher in 1782. She was illiterate at the time and signed the marriage register with an X. He taught her to read, write, and engrave, and she became his collaborator for the next forty-five years: mixing paint, operating the printing press, hand-colouring plates, and binding the finished pages into covers.
Their working method was Blake's own invention, revealed to him (he said) in a dream by the spirit of his dead brother Robert. Relief etching reversed the standard printmaking process: instead of cutting lines into copper, Blake wrote and drew on the plate in acid-resistant varnish, then dissolved the surrounding metal with acid, leaving text and image raised. This allowed him to compose poetry and illustration simultaneously on a single plate, print them together, then hand-colour each sheet in watercolour. Every copy was therefore unique. Songs of Innocence and of Experience was produced this way. He sold fewer than thirty copies during his lifetime.
In 1803, he physically threw a soldier named John Schofield out of his garden in Felpham. He was charged with assault and with uttering treasonable expressions against the King. He was acquitted at the Chichester assizes in January 1804.
Newton, painted in 1795, shows the scientist as a young man with the body of a Greek god, bent forward at the bottom of a dark ocean, fixing his gaze on a pair of compasses, measuring and drawing on a scroll that appears to project from his own head. It is a painting about the limits of reason: beautiful, precise, and missing everything beyond the edge of the paper. The Ancient of Days, from the same period, depicts his mythological figure Urizen crouching at the edge of a void, reaching down with a compass to measure the darkness below.
He died on 12 August 1827, working on illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy. He was buried at Bunhill Fields. The wider recognition came decades later.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
You May Also Like