Artwork
An Armed Man Spurning a Woman [recto]
![An Armed Man Spurning a Woman [recto], by William Blake, graphite, 1792](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/william-blake--an-armed-man-spurning-a-woman-recto--1c6f4d8e0f65d2b6-w1024.webp)
An Armed Man Spurning a Woman [recto] is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist William Blake. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
This graphite drawing on laid paper, created circa 1792, is a work by William Blake, a multifaceted English artist and poet. Characterized by its symbolic and imaginative elements, it exemplifies Blake's unique visual language.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a specific scene: an armed man rejecting a woman. While the exact interpretation of this interaction is not explicitly stated in available information, it aligns with Blake's propensity for conveying complex, often ambiguous, themes through his art.
Technique & Style
Executed in graphite, the piece showcases Blake's skill in this medium, emphasizing line and form to convey emotion and narrative. The use of laid paper, with its visible texture, adds a tactile quality to the work.
History & Provenance
Created during Blake's lifetime in London (with the exception of a brief period in Felpham), this drawing was part of a body of work that saw little recognition until after his death. Specific details about its ownership history before achieving public or institutional recognition are not provided.
Context
Emerging in the late 18th century, this drawing situates itself within the burgeoning Romantic era in art and literature, a movement Blake would significantly influence with his visionary and emotionally charged works.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker.








![Sheet of Studies [recto and verso], by John Flaxman](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-flaxman--sheet-of-studies-recto-and-verso--f6a63f702efb4c37-w320.webp)




![Sheet of Studies with the Drunken Pan and Nymphs [verso], by Jacob Jordaens](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jacob-jordaens--sheet-of-studies-with-the-drunken-pan-and-nymphs-verso--7da29549b59c490a-w320.webp)
![Study of an Interior [verso], by Walter Shirlaw](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/walter-shirlaw--study-of-an-interior-verso--ae90136ae4907dbf-w320.webp)

![Queen Katherine's Dream [recto], by William Blake](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/william-blake--queen-katherine-s-dream-recto--90af798f35cdb189-w320.webp)

