Watercolor of a pale nude body lying flat beneath a hovering figure with outstretched arms, surrounded by swirling red, orange and blue flames and drapery.

The Soul Hovering Over the Body, Blake, c. 1796

A small watercolor shows a pale, nude body stretched horizontally along the bottom of a narrow framed panel, while a winged, flame-colored spirit with outstretched arms hovers above it. Swirling red, orange, and blue draperies fill the space between them, set against a pale yellow ground, with handwritten inscription beneath the mat.

Artist: William Blake
Date: 1796
Medium
Source: Wikimedia Commons / Wikidata
Size: 3840 × 2623 px

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Public domain · William Blake died 1827 and the work dates by 1796; public domain in the US and life+70 countries.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier B · as stated by the source: CC0

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): William Blake, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

William Blake 18th century romantic art 1790s 1796 printmaking watercolor death spirits william blake

The Soul Hovering Over the Body, Blake, c. 1796

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