The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; The Devils Mauling Each Other
1827
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1827
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows two chubby, winged figures wrestling in the air, their faces twisted in anger. Below them, rough waves crash in swirling lines. In the background, faint outlines of other figures stand on a distant shore, their details blurred. The artist used sharp lines and shading to show movement and emotion, especially in the faces and tangled limbs. The scene looks chaotic but controlled, like a story unfolding in ink. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like Blake carved these precise lines into metal plates.
