Job Receiving the Messengers, by William Small. 6¾ x 9 inches. Plate 58. Proof wood engraving by the Dalziels; printed on India paper. A representation of the four messengers who arrive to tell Job of his misfortunes (Job 1: 14–22). Two have already spoken (left of composition); a third is delivering his messenger, just as the fourth (with the worst news of all, of the death of Job’s children) intervenes. Small shows Job turning around in alarm to hear this fatal information and the dramatic effect is magnified by all of the characters’ anguished poses. The design is a companion piece to Small’s other contribution, Cushi brings news to David of the death of Absolon (Plate 51). Both depict the reporting of unwanted information, and both focus on a climactic moment, a strategy that also informs biblical work of Fred Leighton. However, Small seems relatively uninterested in reproducing the historical details of the setting and personae; the architecture is generalized and although he dresses two of the messengers in traditional costume the other two could belong to any period. The background is likewise ambiguous: it should be the Holy Land, but looks – bizarrely – like English countryside. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Image scan and text by Simon Cooke. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned it and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.
Bibliography
Dalziels’ Bible Gallery. London: Routledge, 1881 [1880].
Created 4 August 2026