I developed a System of Illuminated Printing--relief Etching in Copper of both Text and Design--which I used to produce my own Poems and Prophecies. Each time I printed a Book, it was unique: each Copy varies from all other Copies, often radically.
Here is the Forty-Third Plate of what is called "Copy C" of my book *Milton: A Poem*. It depicts the Advent of Los to me, as I bound my Sandals on to walk through Eternity. Los became one Man with Me. This Plate occurs at different Junctures in all the various Printings I made of *Milton: A Poem.* This Method of illuminating my Books meant that I wrote entire long heroic Poems *backwards* in acid-resist, directly on the copper Plates, of which there were 100 in my longest poem, *Jerusalem the Emanation of the Giant Albion*.I used more conventional Methods when I was paid to illustrate the Poetry of others--either engraving or, more usually, pen and watercolour. I made many Illustrations to the Poetry of John Milton, for private Collectors. I did several sets of Illustrations to certain Poems, such as these for *Paradise Lost*. I got a Scattering of commercial Work, and was usually asked to illustrate the "Graveyard Poets"-- Blair's "The Grave," Hervey's "Meditations among the Tombs," and of course I did a long series of Illustrations to Edward Young's much admired Poem *Night Thoughts*. Here is the Format I used for the *Night Thoughts* project: the Poetry that is set in Type here is by Mr. Young. When this Edition was (partly) published, the Designs were Engravings without colour. I illustrated many other Texts: of course I often illustrated the Bible. I did many individual Paintings and Drawings, but many people like best my Engravings for *Job*, which was produced as a Book with 21 Illustrations and one Title-Page. I also did Paintings for this Series. My last Project was my Illustrations to Dante's *Commedia*. I did 102 Watercolours and 7 Engravings for this. As with *Job*, this is an example of my Genius for Engraving--but I preferred Etching in relief as the method for my own Illuminated Books.
Some of the pictures on this site, including the background link to this page, are courtesy of the Blake
Archive, http://www.blakearchive.org/
Books
The Bible
Heroes
Michelangelo, Raphael, Albrecht Durer, Giulio Romano
William Blake's Details
Status:
Married
Hometown:
London
Body type:
Athletic
Ethnicity:
White / Caucasian
Religion:
Christian - other
Zodiac Sign:
Sagittarius
Smoke / Drink:
No / Yes
Children:
Love kids, but not for me
Occupation:
Printmaker
Income:
Less than $30,000
William Blake In Eternity Posted at 10:45 PM May 3 view more
About me: Born November 28, 1757, in London. Died several times since, *inter alia* on August 12, 1827. Lifelong Londoner with the exception of 3 years Slumber by the Banks of the Ocean at Felpham, 1800-1803, where I was charged with Seditious Utterance for ejecting a drunken Soldier from my Garden, when he had been impertinent with my Wife Catherine.
I was educated at Par's Drawing school, 1767-72, and apprenticed to my Master, James Basire, an Antiquarian Engraver, from 1772-1779. I learned to love the Gothic during this Apprenticeship, while drawing Tomb Sculptures in Westminster Abbey. I also learned much Mythography and Lore of all Nations, while engraving for Jacob Bryant's *A New System, or, an Analysis of Ancient Mythology*.
Once on my own and married to Catherine, I developed a Method of "Illuminated Printing," in which Text and Design were etched in Relief on Copper Plates, then printed. No two Pulls of any of my Books are identical: all Copies of my famous *Songs of Innocence and of Experience*, for instance, vary One from the Other--in the Order of the Pages, the Number of Pages, and the actual Appearance of each Page.
I used this Method throughout my Life, from *There Is No Natural Religion* and *All Religions Are One* through *Jerusalem*. I also did Engraving, Watercolour Painting, Fresco Painting, Tempera, individual Prints, and many Drawings. I detest Oil Painting and its Blotting and Blurring.
Among my non-Illuminated Works, many prefer my Illustrations to *Job*, to Dante's *Commedia*, and to the Poetry of John Milton.
Although neglected in later Life, as a young Man I was part of the radical Printer Joseph Johnson's Circle, where I associated with Tom Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft, and many others. I counted as early personal Friends Henry Fuseli and John Flaxman (principal Designer for Josiah Wedgwood), and late in my life I was admired by my young followers "The Ancients" (Samuel Palmer and Edward Calvert). John Constable wrote, within Hours of my Death, a Letter, intended to raise Funds to alleviate my Widow Catherine's financial Distress.
I admired the Art of Michelangelo, Raphael, Giulio Romano, and Albrecht Durer, and despised the disorganized Vagueness of Oil Painters such as Rembrandt, Titian, Rubens, and Correggio. I preferred the techniques of the Fresco Painters, and proposed enormous, Wall-Sized, portable Frescoes be used as Public Monuments. Imagine the Type of a Londoner waking up of a Morning to find all the Public Artworks were in different Places!
I loathed the "Classical"--stolen Imitations--despising the Greeks and Romans as Men in Love with War--and revered the Gothic in Art, and the Biblical in Literature.
I was born a Soho Cockney, to a Father who was a Hosier (he sewed socks in Golden Square). Catherine and I were rich in Spiritual Things, but poor by the Account of This World.
My vile Corporeal Body was buried in an unknown Grave in Bunhill Fields. Its Ground was never consecrated (by the Authorities), and it is a Cemetery popular with Nonconformists, where John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, George Fox, and George Whitehead were buried. There is now a Stone commemorating Catherine and me in Bunhill Fields.
I was introduced to your works (Bubba Blake) by James Douglas Morrison and since then I have become a great fan. Very profound words w/illustration I will stopped by again to leave something special..thanx for the add have a great new year..when our door of perceptions are cleansed, everything will be granted infinitely..
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