Willam Blake (1757-1827) - Essay Example

(Assignment) William Blake The Romantic Period witnessed revolutionary changes in the field of literature and art. The traditional writing notion was dramatically altered by great Romantic poets like William Blake, Wordsworth, John Keats and others. Industrial revolution that swept across Britain can be attributed to the emergence of romantic writing. Among the advocates of Romanticism, Blake’s poems and paintings demonstrated deep emotions including romance, passion, and aspiration to freedom as a genuine response to the chaotic social conventions of the time.

William Blake, the prominent poet and painter was born in London as the son of a hosiery shop owner on 28 November 1757. He started his initial formation as a painter at the age of ten, at the art school run by Henry Pars in Strand. After his four years of learning at Pars, he was apprenticed to James Basire and seven years later by 1778 he joined the Royal Academy where he mastered drawing using living models (William Blake1757-1827, BBC). Blake’s first volume of poetry was published in 1783 encouraged by the great artist of the time, Flaxman.

Blake explored the scope of integrating painting with book writing and in 1788 he initiated illuminated book ‘There is no Natural Religion’ followed by Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience, Book of Thel and many more throughout the subsequent years. He was indeed a versatile writer and poet who performed all efforts himself for printing his illuminated books. Blake’s other famous works include the Book of Job (1825), and Pastorals of Virgil (1821). His collection of drawings that ranged from simple pencil sketches to sophisticated watercolors is the evidences of his fascinating ability to symbolize his own imaginations and of others.

Blake was hardly influenced by conventions; but he approached his subjects with an open mind that assisted him to perform his works sincerely and without considering prevailing opinions. Blake hated the Reynolds’ attitude towards art as it had contained the elements of apparent humility; he always used to follow his early influences, Michelangelo and Raphael. It has been observed that Blake mainly liked to deal with historic paintings rather than landscape and portraiture. In 1782, Blake married Catherine Boucher who later influenced his artistic activities a lot.

When Blake taught Catherine to read and write, she helped him to print his illuminated works and supported him in occasions when numerous misfortunes struck him severely. Some historians claim that Blake used to illustrate his notions regarding sexual equality and institution of marriage through his works. He conceptualized that marriage without love is a cruel absurdity that diminishes the values of marriage. Blake is regarded as one of the progenitors of the revolutionary Romantic Movement.

In 1788, he shifted his attention to relief etching which later became the focal point for most of his books, paintings, poems, and pamphlets. This was one of the most innovative aspects of his art since most of the cotemporary artists had not touched this area. Although Blake became most famous on the ground of his relief etching, he also dealt with intaglio engraving which was a standard process applied to engraving the eighteenth century into copper plate. This was complex and time consuming process but Blake’s patience and vehement affection toward art aided him to complete this venture successfully.

According to Buckley, Blake’s own developed method of relief engraving helped him to integrate his poetry and paintings so as to form a unified work. Some recent researches show that he had frequently used a technique known as “repoussage” which aimed to obliterate the mistakes by hitting the back of the plate by a hammer. This discovery assists as to connect why he took much time to complete his engravings. Blake’s illustrations of the poems amplified their beauty. They were not merely accompanying his works but those illustrations played a great role in critically commenting on the specific spiritual or moral aspects of the work.

Blake’s remembrance exists mainly on the ground of his artistic creativity rather than his aesthetic notions. Blake went to a cottage at Felpham in Sussex in order to assist the illustrating works of a minor poet, William Hayley. Blake has also dealt with a work Milton: a Poem while he was at Felpham. In 1803, he faced severe difficulties when he was accused by a soldier for physical altercation. Blake returned to London in 1804 and he spent remaining part of his life there until his great life came to an end in 1827.

Works Cited Buckley, Peter J. “Images in psychiatry, William Blake (1757-1827)”. Am J Psychiatry 162:5, May 2005. Web 6 April 2011 William Blake (1757-1827). BBC, History. Web 6 April 2011