August 31st, 2024

Happy Saturday! We made it through another week and to the end of the month, friends. I procrastinated too much this month and now I’ve got an art piece to finish brainstorming by the end of the weekend. I’m feeling the pressure 🫠 but sometimes the inspiration burns brighter against a deadline and I’m determined to get it done.

This week we’re off on a journey to England in the the late 1700’s, exploring an influential painter and poet.

Artist Spotlight - William Blake (1757-1827)

Career

William Blake was born on November 28, 1757, in Soho, London, into a middle-class family. He was the third of seven children, although two of his siblings died in infancy. Blake’s father, James, was a hosier, and his mother, Catherine, was known for her deep religious convictions. The family was nonconformist in their religious beliefs, rejecting the established Church of England, which played a significant role in shaping Blake’s spiritual outlook.

From a young age, Blake exhibited a remarkable artistic talent. He began drawing as soon as he could hold a pencil and was enrolled in drawing classes at the age of ten. His parents recognized his gift and supported his artistic development. When he was 14, he was apprenticed to the engraver James Basire, a decision that would profoundly influence his career. Basire’s rigorous training in engraving provided Blake with the technical skills that he would later use to create his own unique style of illustrated books.

During his apprenticeship, Blake was sent to Westminster Abbey to make drawings of the Gothic tombs and monuments. The Abbey’s medieval architecture and religious iconography left a lasting impression on him, igniting his imagination and deepening his interest in themes of spirituality and the sublime. These early experiences laid the groundwork for Blake’s later work, where he would combine visual art and poetry to explore complex spiritual and philosophical ideas.

After completing his apprenticeship in 1779, he enrolled in the Royal Academy of Arts to study painting. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the academic conventions of the time, particularly the emphasis on classical ideals and historical subjects. Blake preferred a more personal, expressive style that drew on his inner visions and mystical experiences.

Blake married Catherine Boucher in 1782, a woman of humble background who could not read or write. Blake taught her to read and write, and she became his lifelong partner, assisting him in his work, particularly in the printing and coloring of his illuminated books. Their marriage was a deep, spiritual partnership, and Catherine played a crucial role in Blake’s life and art.

The period from the late 1780s to the early 1800s was the most productive and innovative phase of Blake’s career. It was during this time that he developed his unique method of “illuminated printing,” a process that combined text and image in a single work. Blake would engrave his poems and designs onto copper plates, print them, and then hand-color the pages with watercolors. This method allowed him complete control over the creation and reproduction of his work, which was essential given the unconventional and often controversial nature of his content.

One of Blake’s most famous illuminated works is Songs of Innocence (1789), followed by Songs of Experience (1794). These two collections of poems explore the dichotomy between the innocence of childhood and the harsh realities of adult life. The poems are accompanied by intricate illustrations that enhance and deepen the meaning of the text. The famous pair of poems “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” from these collections exemplify Blake’s exploration of contrasting states of the human soul.

In addition to the Songs, he produced a series of epic, prophetic books, such as The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790–93), America a Prophecy (1793), and Jerusalem (1804–1820). These works are complex, often enigmatic, and filled with Blake’s unique mythological figures and symbols. They reflect his deep engagement with the political and social upheavals of his time, particularly the American and French Revolutions, as well as his profound spiritual vision.

Blake’s work during this period was deeply influenced by his mystical experiences and his belief in the unity of all things. He claimed to have visions from an early age, seeing angels in a tree or conversing with the spirit of his deceased brother. These visions were not mere fantasies for Blake but rather glimpses into a deeper, spiritual reality. His art and poetry sought to convey these visions and to challenge the materialism and rationalism of the Enlightenment.

Despite his prolific output and the originality of his work, he struggled financially throughout his life. His visionary art and poetry were not widely understood or appreciated by his contemporaries, and he often found himself in conflict with the mainstream art world. He lived in relative poverty, supported by a small circle of devoted friends and patrons who recognized his genius.

One of Blake’s major projects in his later years was the series of illustrations for the Book of Job, completed in 1826. These engravings are considered some of his finest work, combining dramatic imagery with deep spiritual insight. Blake’s interpretation of Job reflects his belief in the transformative power of suffering and the possibility of spiritual redemption.

In the final years of his life, Blake worked on what would become known as the Illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Although he did not complete the series, the existing drawings and engravings demonstrate his continued commitment to exploring the themes of sin, redemption, and the human condition.

Blake’s death on August 12, 1827, marked the end of a life that had been largely unrecognized by the public. He died in obscurity, but according to those who were with him, his final moments were peaceful and visionary. He reportedly spent his last hours sketching and singing hymns, a fitting end for a man who had dedicated his life to the pursuit of spiritual and artistic truth.

Contributions to the Art World

Blake’s art is renowned for its visionary and symbolic nature. He created a rich personal mythology populated by complex, often enigmatic figures and scenes that represent spiritual and philosophical ideas. His works like The Ancient of Days, Newton, and his illustrations for Paradise Lost and the Book of Job are filled with symbolic imagery that conveys deep, often esoteric meanings. Blake’s use of symbolism influenced not only his contemporaries but also later movements such as Symbolism and Surrealism, where artists sought to express the inner workings of the mind and spirit.

He was a vocal critic of institutional power, including the Church, the State, and the Industrial Revolution. His art often reflects his disapproval of the way these institutions suppressed individual freedom and imagination. For instance, his famous poem and illustration “The Chimney Sweeper” criticizes child labor and the church’s complicity in social injustices. His art and poetry are filled with anti-authoritarian themes, encouraging a spirit of rebellion against oppression and conformity. This critical perspective has influenced generations of artists and thinkers who see art as a means of social and political critique.

Blake’s work has had a significant impact on modern popular culture. His poem “And did those feet in ancient time” was set to music and became the hymn “Jerusalem,” which is now one of Britain’s most beloved patriotic songs. His ideas have also influenced musicians like Bob Dylan and bands like The Doors, who drew inspiration from Blake’s visionary poetry.

Style

Blake invented the Illuminated printing method. Unlike traditional books, where text and illustrations were separate, Blake’s illuminated books presented them as one unified artwork. This technique involved several steps:

• Relief Etching: Blake would write and draw directly onto copper plates using an acid-resistant medium. Unlike traditional intaglio etching, where the lines are incised into the plate, Blake used relief etching, where the drawn or written areas remained raised after the rest of the plate was etched away by acid. This allowed both text and illustrations to be printed in a single impression.

• Printing: Once the plates were prepared, they were inked and pressed onto paper. Because the raised areas of the plate held the ink, both text and image would be printed simultaneously.

• Hand Coloring: After printing, Blake and his wife, Catherine, would hand-color the pages using watercolors. This added a vibrant, painterly quality to his works, making each copy of his books unique.

Hand-coloring was a critical aspect of Blake’s artistic process. His use of color was highly symbolic and often unconventional. He employed a vibrant, sometimes otherworldly palette, using colors to evoke specific emotions or to highlight particular aspects of his symbolic narratives. For example, reds might symbolize passion or violence, while blues and greens could evoke spiritual tranquility or innocence.

Influences and Lessons

The Bible was perhaps Blake's single most important influence. He was deeply familiar with the scriptures, and biblical themes permeate both his poetry and his visual art. His interpretations were often unconventional however, as he was critical of organized religion and its rigid dogmas. Instead, he embraced a more mystical, personal form of Christianity, drawing on the mystical traditions of figures like Jakob Böhme and Emanuel Swedenborg.

The Italian poet Dante Alighieri, author of The Divine Comedy, was another important influence on Blake, particularly in his later years. The Divine Comedy’s journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise resonated with his own explorations of the spiritual realm. Like Dante, Blake saw art as a means of depicting the moral and spiritual journey of humanity.

Blake believed that the imagination is the most powerful tool for understanding and transforming the world. He saw it as a divine gift that could transcend the limitations of material reality and reveal deeper spiritual truths. He was a fierce critic of the institutions of his time, including the church, the state, and the monarchy. His work encourages us to question authority and challenge oppressive systems, using creativity as a means of resistance.

Style Representation

Collectors Corner - Larsnagler, eccaro

Final Thoughts

I hope all my US readers have an amazing Labor Day and enjoy some time off of work. My plan is to get my new Bullet Journal set up and strategize a plan to actually use it. I’ve dealt with poor working memory my whole life and it’s about damn time I try to deal with it as I have the sneaking suspicion I have undiagnosed ADD. If anyone has tips or suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

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On that note, I’ll leave you with a quote that reminds us that helping others is one of the keys to finding ourselves:

Enjoy your weekend, friend!

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