Winter

Winter from 1822 by Blake at Tate is one of his later watercolors, depicting the season as a figure of aged, hunched endurance. Blake's personification of natural forces reflects his mythological approach to all aspects of the visible world. The work belongs to Blake's sustained engagement with spiritual and mythological themes, executed in watercolor with the meticulous, jewel-like intensity that characterized his private illuminated works. Blake's technique of 'fresco' painting—applying tempera over chalk grounds—was a personal invention reflecting his conviction that fresco was the medium of the ancients, superior to the oil painting he associated with moral corruption and materialism.

The bent figure embodies winter's severity, rendered with Blake's precise line and luminous wash technique, the cold atmosphere conveyed through pale, muted coloring.