The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne

The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne is a pencil drawing and watercolour on paper by the English poet, painter and printmaker William Blake.

[2] Saint John described the scene, Blake's depiction was created as part of a commission of biblical watercolours for his friend and patron[4] Thomas Butts.

[5] Paintings and drawings from the series are typically characterised by intense displays of colour and The Four and Twenty Elders is generally held as one of the most vivid examples of Blake's output from the period.

God is pictured sitting on his throne at the centre of the panel and portrayed as an ancient figure with a long and broad white beard dressed in red clothing.

The Ox and Angel are positioned behind the throne and peer outwards, according to the Blake collector W. Graham Robertson, "dimly [and] half hidden in the pale crimson and violet rays which emanate from the central figure, and shoot up to meet and be absorbed in the over-arching rainbow.

The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne , c. 1803–5. William Blake , Tate . 354 x 293 mm.
Blake's Sketch for The Four and Twenty Elders (pencil on paper, 488 x 389 mm), although loosely drawn, anticipates the symmetrical architecture of the finished piece. [ 7 ]