Blake, William William Blake was an English poet, painter was born November 28, 1757, in London
William Blake started writing poems as a boy, many of them inspired by religious visions. Apprenticed to an engraver as a young man, Blake learned skills that allowed him to put his poems and drawings together on etchings, and he began to publish his own work. Throughout his life he survived on small commissions, never gaining much attention from the London art world. His paintings were rejected by the public
Los 1804-20 Etching with pen watercolour and gold, 146 x 222 mm Yale Center for British Art, New Haven This is Plate 100 of the illustrated poem Jerusalem. Trained as an engraver, Blake evolved into a shamanic figure - mystic, philosopher, priest - compelled to set his visions before the world. They took the form of epic, quasi-biblical dramas of spiritual redemption. He increasingly eschewed conventional media and published them in 'Prophetic Books' written and illuminated himself by processes of colour printing. In his Prophetic Books, the character of Los exemplifies the artist's roles as seer, mystic and interpreter. The author of all art and literature, architect of a City of Art, Los is responsible for everything mankind sees and senses. In Jerusalem he takes various forms, from a London nightwatchman to a blacksmith at his forge, but he is also Blake himself. When the narrative reaches its last page, Los rests from his smithy, but a temple of false religion is already extending to cover the land behind him as night follows day. Author: BLAKE, William Title: Los Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , mythological Painting ID:: 62541
Blake, William Los 1804-20 Etching with pen watercolour and gold, 146 x 222 mm Yale Center for British Art, New Haven This is Plate 100 of the illustrated poem Jerusalem. Trained as an engraver, Blake evolved into a shamanic figure - mystic, philosopher, priest - compelled to set his visions before the world. They took the form of epic, quasi-biblical dramas of spiritual redemption. He increasingly eschewed conventional media and published them in 'Prophetic Books' written and illuminated himself by processes of colour printing. In his Prophetic Books, the character of Los exemplifies the artist's roles as seer, mystic and interpreter. The author of all art and literature, architect of a City of Art, Los is responsible for everything mankind sees and senses. In Jerusalem he takes various forms, from a London nightwatchman to a blacksmith at his forge, but he is also Blake himself. When the narrative reaches its last page, Los rests from his smithy, but a temple of false religion is already extending to cover the land behind him as night follows day. Author: BLAKE, William Title: Los Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , mythological
Elisha in the Chamber on the Wall 1820 Sepia wash over pencil, 243 x 210 mm Tate Gallery, London Among Blake's metaphors for creative vision was the Old Testament prophet Elisha, foretelling her future son to the Shunammite woman who had given him a room for his meditations. There can be little doubt that Blake's bearded seer in his chamber was a more revealing record of himself and his art than a literal portrayal of his features could ever be. Author: BLAKE, William Title: Elisha in the Chamber on the Wall Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , religious Painting ID:: 62543
Blake, William Elisha in the Chamber on the Wall 1820 Sepia wash over pencil, 243 x 210 mm Tate Gallery, London Among Blake's metaphors for creative vision was the Old Testament prophet Elisha, foretelling her future son to the Shunammite woman who had given him a room for his meditations. There can be little doubt that Blake's bearded seer in his chamber was a more revealing record of himself and his art than a literal portrayal of his features could ever be. Author: BLAKE, William Title: Elisha in the Chamber on the Wall Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , religious
The Lovers' Whirlwind Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta 1824-27 Pen and ink and watercolour, 374 x 530 mm City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham The scene is from Dante's Divine Comedy, Hell). Author: BLAKE, William Title: The Lovers' Whirlwind, Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , other Painting ID:: 62544
Blake, William The Lovers' Whirlwind Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta 1824-27 Pen and ink and watercolour, 374 x 530 mm City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham The scene is from Dante's Divine Comedy, Hell). Author: BLAKE, William Title: The Lovers' Whirlwind, Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , other
Songs of Innocence 1825 Relief etching, handpainted with watercolour and gold, 152 x 140 mm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York William Blake is the only artist of his rank who is even better known as a poet, and some of his most pleasing works are those he called "illuminated printing," which fuse picture and word to form a completely integrated and completely personal result. Songs of Innocence, published in 1789, comprises 31 illuminated poems; the book was republished in 1794 with Songs of Experience, with 54 plates in all. Blake's books are similar to 15th-century blockbooks, so called because for each page the letters were, like the images, carved from the block rather than printed from movable type. Blake printed his plates in one colour only, here a bright red-brown. The pages were then painted, perhaps by Blake himself, in watercolours and gold, so every copy of the book is unique. The colours and gold are especially brilliant in this copy. Blake kept the plates and produced these books over a long period of time, probably according to demand. The watermark on 12 leaves of the Metropolitan's copy includes the date 1825, indicating that it was made in or after that year. Author: BLAKE, William Title: Songs of Innocence (Title page) Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , other Painting ID:: 62545
Blake, William Songs of Innocence 1825 Relief etching, handpainted with watercolour and gold, 152 x 140 mm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York William Blake is the only artist of his rank who is even better known as a poet, and some of his most pleasing works are those he called "illuminated printing," which fuse picture and word to form a completely integrated and completely personal result. Songs of Innocence, published in 1789, comprises 31 illuminated poems; the book was republished in 1794 with Songs of Experience, with 54 plates in all. Blake's books are similar to 15th-century blockbooks, so called because for each page the letters were, like the images, carved from the block rather than printed from movable type. Blake printed his plates in one colour only, here a bright red-brown. The pages were then painted, perhaps by Blake himself, in watercolours and gold, so every copy of the book is unique. The colours and gold are especially brilliant in this copy. Blake kept the plates and produced these books over a long period of time, probably according to demand. The watermark on 12 leaves of the Metropolitan's copy includes the date 1825, indicating that it was made in or after that year. Author: BLAKE, William Title: Songs of Innocence (Title page) Form: graphics , 1751-1800 , English , other
William Blake was an English poet, painter was born November 28, 1757, in London
William Blake started writing poems as a boy, many of them inspired by religious visions. Apprenticed to an engraver as a young man, Blake learned skills that allowed him to put his poems and drawings together on etchings, and he began to publish his own work. Throughout his life he survived on small commissions, never gaining much attention from the London art world. His paintings were rejected by the public