Ancient of Days by William Blake

Exhibited at The Whitworth Art Gallery, The University of Manchester, 1794
credit here

Opinion: Ancient of Days- Ancient of Days is probably my favorite piece that we have studied. The figure’s stance combined with the wind and the bright rays on the darkness elicits the power of creation.

Theory: Ancient of Days was created by William Blake during the Romantic period. The work is not realistic at all- it is all emotion. Blake is showing us a picture of creation- God creating the world with a protractor. Such a scene is reminiscent of God as the Architect of the World during the Gothic period. The picture from Blake has a lot of movement as the wind blows, emphasizing the strength of the figure. The sun is painted behind God and rays of light (similar to the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa) pierce outward. In this period we are now beginning to see works of art that are based on the subconscious. Thus, this work is what Blake would think- as in this is his personal interpretation of God (Madame Oyler).