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A Figure Ascending in a Glory of Clouds (?)

William Blake

1805

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

A Figure Ascending in a Glory of Clouds (?) is a 1805 graphite by William Blake, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: William Blake
When & what style?: 1805 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a swirling figure tangled in looping lines that look like hair, smoke, or maybe clouds. The whole thing is drawn in light graphite on paper, with no clear background—just a flat, pale surface. The lines overlap in places, making the figure hard to follow, as if it’s moving too fast to see clearly. The messy, tangled style might be on purpose—Blake often used sketches like quick, raw ideas. The question mark in the title suggests he wasn’t sure what it even was. If you like this wild, sketchy style, look up Blake, William.