William Blake: Difference between revisions
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28 November 1757 - 12 August 1827. Counted among the leading early romanticists. | |||
Already talented as a young boy, he started an apprenticeship as an engraver and afterwards studied at the [[Royal Academy of Arts|Royal Academy]], where he exhibited his first pictures. | |||
Today Blake is most famous for his [[poetry]]; his most important works include ''Songs of Innocence'' and ''Songs of Experience''. He also finished two epics: ''Milton'' and ''Jerusalem''. However, in his own times he was primarily known as an engraver and painter. He illustrated not only his own works but also those of other writers, e.g. Dante Alighieri’s ''Divine Comedy'' (in an edition published in 1825) or Blake’s contemporary [[Mary Wollstonecraft]]’s ''Original Stories from Real Life''. | |||
He was also in touch with a few prominent radicals of his time, e.g. Joseph Johnson and [[Thomas Paine]]. Blake is said to have been inspired by the [[American War of Independence|American]] and [[French Revolution|French Revolutions]] and to have been a great admirer of those countries (Ferber xiii). | |||
He also wrote a long poem called ''The French Revolution'' in which he describes the problems of [[Absolutism|French monarchy]]. | |||
William Blake’s most important technical invention was the art of relief etching, which he called “illuminated painting” and which he used for his famous illustrations. | |||
He died 12 August 1827. | |||
He died | |||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
Eaves, Morris: ''The Cambridge Companion to William Blake''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004 | Eaves, Morris: ''The Cambridge Companion to William Blake''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. | ||
Ferber, Michael: ''The Poetry of William Blake''. London: Penguin, 1992 | Ferber, Michael: ''The Poetry of William Blake''. London: Penguin, 1992. | ||
Encyclopaedia Britannica | Bentley, G.E. "William Blake." ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', first published online 28 July 1999, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/68793/William-Blake. | ||
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/68793/William-Blake | |||
Latest revision as of 22:57, 9 November 2023
28 November 1757 - 12 August 1827. Counted among the leading early romanticists.
Already talented as a young boy, he started an apprenticeship as an engraver and afterwards studied at the Royal Academy, where he exhibited his first pictures. Today Blake is most famous for his poetry; his most important works include Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. He also finished two epics: Milton and Jerusalem. However, in his own times he was primarily known as an engraver and painter. He illustrated not only his own works but also those of other writers, e.g. Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy (in an edition published in 1825) or Blake’s contemporary Mary Wollstonecraft’s Original Stories from Real Life.
He was also in touch with a few prominent radicals of his time, e.g. Joseph Johnson and Thomas Paine. Blake is said to have been inspired by the American and French Revolutions and to have been a great admirer of those countries (Ferber xiii). He also wrote a long poem called The French Revolution in which he describes the problems of French monarchy.
William Blake’s most important technical invention was the art of relief etching, which he called “illuminated painting” and which he used for his famous illustrations.
He died 12 August 1827.
Sources
Eaves, Morris: The Cambridge Companion to William Blake. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Ferber, Michael: The Poetry of William Blake. London: Penguin, 1992.
Bentley, G.E. "William Blake." Encyclopaedia Britannica, first published online 28 July 1999, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/68793/William-Blake.