Who painted three watercolours depicting the life of the Biblical character Joseph?

William Blake (1757-1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker, whose work continues to influence and inspire many people regardless of profession, religion and nationality. Although produced during a period of unrest involving war, the British Empire and industrialisation, Blake’s work resonates with the present world and the struggles people face today.

As a student of the Royal Academy of Arts, Blake was encouraged to paint serious subject matters, such as portraits and landscapes. Blake, on the other hand, chose to focus on Biblical stories, for instance, the story of Joseph and his brothers. Written in the Book of Genesis, Joseph had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. The series of events that follow result in Joseph having significant authority in the land of Egypt and, during a famine, his brothers end up begging him for help.

Blake produced three watercolours that express the latter part of the story of Joseph. In the first, the brothers, unaware of who Joseph is, bow down before him, pleading for help to survive the famine. The second, 'Joseph Ordering Simeon to be Bound', shows one of Joseph’s older brothers willingly being arrested for a crime he did not commit to spare the life of another brother. Noting that the attitudes of his brothers have changed since they sold him into slavery, Joseph reveals his true identity and welcomes his brothers with open arms, which is shown in Blake’s third painting.