ART & MONEY

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Illustrations of the Book of Job
Linnell Set, Page 5

This image was created by Blake for his series of Illustrations of the Book of Job. It shows Satan departing from God's presence to test the faith of Job. It represents Job's as a man who was good by the world's standards, but who was failing to develop spiritually. Satan was deployed to demonstrate to Job that success in the world was not evidence that his spirit was being nourished. Art as an activity in this world, and Imagination as the mental activity which sustains Art, are the symbols Blake uses for the level of consciousness which man must seek.

   Blake shows Job ritualistically providing charity to a poor man. Out of his abundance Job made the required donation. The confusion of the exchange of money for the practice of human values which support brotherhood is a symptom of Job's need to reach a higher level of spiritual understanding.

    On his engraving of the Laocoon sculpture Blake made several statements about Art as the fundamental principle which guides the development of consciousness in the Earthly realm. Being guided by the principle of Money stifles consciousness and thwarts spiritual development. For Blake, Art was an inclusive term which covered all those activities which nourished the body/spirit of man. 

Laocoon, (E 273)  

"For every Pleasure Money Is Useless

Where any view of Money exists Art cannot be carried on

Christianity is Art & not Money 
Money is its Curse

The whole Business of Man Is The Arts & All Things Common

Prayer is the Study of Art
Praise is the Practise of Art
Fasting &c. all relate to Art
The outward Ceremony is Antichrist
Without Unceasing Practise nothing can be done 

Practise is Art     If you leave off you are Lost

A Poet a Painter a Musician an Architect: the Man 
Or Woman who is not one of these is not a Christian 
You must leave Fathers & Mothers & Houses & Lands 
     if they stand in the way of ART"

Mark 10
[28] Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
[29] And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
[30] But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
[31] But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
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