William Blake Background Essay, Research Paper

Family History

Life SpanHome TownParentsSiblings

Blake lived from November 28, 1757 to August 1827.

London, England ( Soho ) James Blake- Commercial Hosier, who was hapless his full life.

Catherine Blake- a homemaker.

1. James

2. Child died at birth

3. William

4. John

5. Richard- died as baby

6. Catherine

7. Robert

Education

Childhood1768-17721772-17791779-1784

An boisterous kid. Parents didn & # 8217 ; t want him sent to school. Mother taught him to read and write.Artistic ability recognized. Sent to Henry Pars & # 8217 ; School of Drawing in the Strand.Apprenticed to James Bashire to larn the art of scratching with an accent on Cu engraving.Enrolled as a pupil at the Royal Academy of Art. Focused chiefly on historical picture.

Personal Life

MarriageReligionPolitical ViewsPertinent Info.

Married Catherine Boucher on August 18, 1782. A loving matrimony, but they ne’er had kids. Blake was a individual who did non believe in holding one set faith. Although he was chiefly Christian he refused to take one religious order. Blake hated all signifiers of war and rigorous political powers. He supported the Gallic Revolution, but non its violent effects and continued to be a extremist sympathiser after its eruption in 1789.Blake was a airy. He believed he could see and speak to he dead brother Robert. He saw angels and even the face of God in his visions. These visions were frequently inspirations for his plants.

Poetic Career

Major Poetic WorksMinor Poetic Works

1. Songs of Artlessness

2. Songs of Experience3. Poetic Sketchs

4. The land of dreams

5. The Book of Thel

6. Visions of the Daughters of Albion

7. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

8. America: A Prophecy

9. Europe: A Prophecy

10. The Book of Urinzen

11. The Song of Los

12. The Book of Ahania

Influences

James BarryHenry FuseliWilliam HayleyJohn Hamilton Mortimer

James Barry was an Irish Artist who became a professor of picture at the Royal Academy of Art. Influenced and inspired Blake

to paint historical pictures. Besides, Barry was willing to be hapless in order to be a great creative person. Politicss of the clip nevertheless kept Barry out of the limelight. These two factors influenced Blake to see past dad civilization and so called governments and to stay loyal to art regardless of “social” failure.A close friend of Blake who influenced his picture and engraving. The two fed off each other’s thoughts. Fuseli introduced Blake to several people in order to acquire his art and poesy published. The two were besides friends because of their love of philosophical treatment. The two had a major battle that did non look to stop. They disagreed on the beginning of Art. Blake believed it had strong ties to religion while Fuseli thought the two to be separate. Another friend and protagonist of Blake. Convince Blake to travel out of London. He set up many scratching occupations for Blake and Blake, a hapless adult male, considered this a approval. Hayley introduced Blake to such writers as Milton and Homer and besides showed Blake’s work to art aggregators and publishing houses. Mortimer died the twelvemonth that Blake enrolled at the Royal Academy. Mortimer was a immature and successful Historical Painter. He painted many characters from classical narratives, possibly the most celebrated being, Death on a Pale Horse, from the Apocalypse. Blake admired Mortimer’s manner and alone attack. Mortimer besides proved to Blake that one could do a life as a painter with such a classical manner of painting interpreted in a extremist manner. Blake, nevertheless, shortly discovered that he could non do a nice life as a rebellious historical painter.

Influences Continued

James BasireAlbert Durer

William Blake was Apprenticed to Blake in 1772 for seven old ages. Though Basire was simply a commercial engraver, he had a deepness of cognition and a instead perfect technique for scratching. He taught Blake the importance of holding a sound and thorough cognition of line scratching. Blake & # 8217 ; s manner of lucidity and exactitude combined with his & # 8220 ; sinuate fluxing line & # 8221 ; are a direct consequence of his preparation with Basire. Albert Durer was a authoritative Greek engraver who lived in the early 1500 & # 8217 ; s. He created three engraved chef-d’oeuvres ( & # 8221 ; Melancholy & # 8221 ; , & # 8220 ; Saint Jerome in his survey & # 8220 ; , The Knight, Death and the Devil & # 8221 ; ) which drew Blake to him. Blake loved Durer & # 8217 ; s authoritative Greek manner and its darkness. He besides looked up to him as an creative person because of the religious facets of his engravings.