Full Description
William Blake (1757-1827), hailed as 'the glorious luminary' by William Rossetti, is one of the great mystics in the history of Western art. His hallucinatory paintings, watercolours and, in particular, the illustrations he made for his books of poetry are instantly recognisable, and have inspired generations of artists in his wake. Although he was largely ignored by his contemporaries, or derided as mad, a number of perceptive critics and commentators took great interest in both the man and his work. This volume brings together some of the most illuminating writings by people who knew Blake, and brings this astonishing visionary to life. They include the frank appraisal by the hugely perceptive diarist Crabb Robinson, never before published in full in English, and the first full biography by Blake's friend and fellow artist John Thomas Smith, as well as Alexander Gilchrist's Preliminary, which heralded the arrival of Blake in the 19th Century.
Contents
Introduction
MARTIN MYRONE
p. 7
Reminiscences of Blake, 1809-27
HENRY CRABB ROBINSON
p. 27
William Blake: Artist, Poet, and Religious Mystic, 1810
HENRY CRABB ROBINSON
p. 71
Biographical Sketch of Blake, 1828
JOHN THOMAS SMITH
p. 119
Preliminary to the
Life of William Blake, 'Pictor Ignotus', 1863
ALEXANDER GILCHRIST
p. 173
List of illustrations
p. 188
