William Blake: Jacob's Ladder

Blake's painting of Jacob's ladder depicts a staircase of angels walkin up and down while Jacob lies at the bottom, asleep. This is supposed to not only show the story in the Bible, where Jacob dreams of the staircase to heaven, but also is supposed to reflect the inner workings of the soul.
I find this painting so fascinating because of its vivid colours, and the graceful movement in the way the angels and the staircase was painted. It is very interesting that the angels look like they are regular people, albeit very beautiful ones, chatting to one another and carrying pots and baskets, as if they were going to and from the market place. Only a few of them have wings. There is a beauty in the normality of the angels' movement, perhaps because what they are doing is so human. This may have been done to signify how people in normal life are in fact incredibly beautiful because of their simplicity and yet colourful emotions.
Farther up the staircase, couples can be seen embracing, symbolising love. This shows Blake's idea that the only way for a person to get to the highest spiritual status is to go through these powerful emotions.

God Judging Adam

"God Judging Adam"

William Blake, 1795

As the title suggests, this etching shows God passing final Judgement on Adam, the first man.

Both men are shown to be old, with long flowing beards and hair. In fact, the only real distinguishing feature between Adam and God is that God is clothed but Adam is not. Possibly Blake is trying to make a point about how men are made in God's image, and thus emphasise how men have failed to emulate God's ideals or teachings.

Adam's nakedness, coupled with the fact that God is seated and elevated above Adam highlights Adam's low status. God seems to be seated on some sort of chariot, pulled by a fantastical horse, whose mane seems quite flame-like. This idea of flames is echoed in the reds and oranges that seem to make up the circular carriage or throne God is seated on. Heaven is not usually associated with fire or flame - maybe Blake is trying to make God seem more terrifying by surrounding God with brushstrokes and colours that bring flames to mind. The use of colour/texture seems to present an atmosphere of anger - God is angry with Adam.