Nebuchadnezzar

"Nebuchadnezzar" is a richly evocative colour monotype print with added elements rendered in ink and watercolour by renowned English poet, painter, and printmaker, William Blake. This piece, reminiscent of Symbolism, represents the downfall of the Old Testament Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar II; a tale extracted from the Book of Daniel. Blake elevates the story of Nebuchadnezzar's descent into madness into a stirring visual narrative using the stylings of Symbolic painting. The king's reduced, animalistic condition, driven to eat grass like an ox, is illustrated through the use of vivid, engraved detail, creating an enduringly powerful image.