Creator of the universe

Private collection.

Etching, pen, ink, watercolour, paper.

Blake’s most recognizable painting, which has become one of the symbols of Freemasonry. At the center of the work, there is the Creator, whom Blake called the coined name Urizen creating the Earth with the help of a huge compass. The figure of the Father resembles the frescoes of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel; however, instead of the traditional image, the author gave the deity negative features. According to Blake’s beliefs, blind faith in God limits human consciousness and freedom of imagination. This philosophy, which was unacceptable during the life of Blake, influenced the development of 19th-century art and found reflection in the work of such artists as Gustave Courbet and Eduard Manet.