Marcus Chen
English poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827) is considered a seminal figure in the history of Romantic Age poetry and visual arts. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now celebrated for his creativity, expressiveness, and idiosyncratic views. He was influenced by the Bible, the ideals of the French and American Revolutions, and the work of artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, and Albrecht Dürer. Blake's work often explored his inner world, reflecting his spiritual and mystical interests. One of his most famous paintings, The Number of the Beast is 666, is said to be inspired by a dream, depicting a creature sacrificing a lamb to Satan while people kneel and pray in terror below. This dream-inspired artwork and its biblical themes offer a glimpse into Blake's unique vision and imagination.
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What You'll Learn
'The Man Who Taught Blake Painting in his Dreams'
William Blake, born in 1757, was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. He is considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. Blake's work was largely unrecognised during his lifetime, and he was considered a madman by his contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views. However, he is now revered for his creativity, expressiveness, and the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work.
Blake's work was heavily influenced by the Bible, though he was hostile to the Church of England and other forms of organised religion. He was also influenced by the ideals of the French and American Revolutions, though he later rejected many of these political beliefs. He was also inspired by the work of earlier artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, Maarten van Heemskerck, and Albrecht Dürer.
Blake's work often explored the inner world of his imagination, visions, and mystical experiences, rather than the external world. He wrote:
> "That I can alone carry on my visionary studies in London unannoy’d, & that I may converse with my friends in Eternity, See Visions, Dream Dreams & Prophecy & Speak Parables unobserv’d & at liberty from the Doubts of other Mortals."
One of Blake's most recognised paintings is a depiction of the mythological character of Urizen, who has won the power struggle between the four Zoas. Urizen is Satan and the power of reason, seen as an old bearded god-like figure kneeling on a flaming disk and measuring out a dark void with a golden compass.
Another notable work by Blake is a sketch of a figure he encountered in his dreams and visions, who gave him advice on how to paint. This figure resembles Blake himself and may represent the artist at the moment of inspiration or a superior version of himself.
The painting "The Man Who Taught Blake Painting in his Dreams" is attributed to John Linnell, whom Blake met in 1818. Linnell was a young painter and engraver through whom Blake gained a group of young followers known as the Ancients.
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Blake's exploration of his inner self
William Blake, born in 1757, was an English poet and painter whose work offers a glimpse into a world of wonder. While his art was largely ignored during his lifetime, today he is recognised as a highly spiritual artist and poet. Blake's work is deeply rooted in his inner world of dreams, visions, and imagination. He explored his inner self through his mystical experiences, advocating for the use of imagination over reason in art and poetry.
Blake's art and poetry often depicted his dreams and visions. One of his paintings, 'The Man Who Taught Blake Painting in his Dreams', depicts a figure he encountered in his dreams, who may represent Blake himself at the moment of inspiration. Another work, 'Milton's Mysterious Dream' (1816-1820), portrays a place of restoration and reflection, free from worries and troubles.
Blake's work often criticised the emphasis on rationalism and the material world during the Age of Enlightenment. In his painting 'Blake's Newton' (1795), he portrays the natural philosopher as devoted to the material world, isolated from reality. Similarly, in his work 'The Book of Urizen', he writes about those who are "bound down / To earth by their narrowing perceptions", exiled by their disembodied rationalism.
Through his exploration of his inner self, Blake created a body of work that continues to resonate and offer new insights into the human experience. His dedication to his inner vision and imagination has left a lasting legacy in the world of art and poetry.
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The influence of religion
Religion was a profound influence on William Blake's art and poetry. Blake was a religious seeker, and his creed outraged the orthodox. He was christened, married, and buried by the rites of the Church of England, but his beliefs were highly individualistic. He was influenced by the ideas of Swedish theologian Emanuel Swedenborg and attended the general conference of the New Church (founded by Swedenborg's followers) in London in 1789. Blake's poem "The Divine Image" from "Songs of Innocence" reflects Swedenborgian thought. However, he later criticised Swedenborg and the New Church for their institutionalisation of religion.
Blake's spiritual beliefs are evident in his work, such as "Songs of Experience" (1794), where he distinguishes between the restrictive Old Testament God and the positive influence of the New Testament God. He saw the imagination as "the body of God" or "human existence itself". From a young age, Blake claimed to have had visions, such as seeing God and a tree filled with angels. He explored his inner world through his art and poetry, seeking to understand his visions and spiritual experiences.
Blake's views on religion were often critical of organised religion and what he saw as the oppression and restriction of freedom. He rejected biblical military history and the idea that God would command the extermination of certain peoples. He regarded Jesus as a great prophet but not as the unique incarnation of God, believing that Jesus differed from others in degree, not kind. He also rejected the idea that Christ's crucifixion could forgive humanity's sins, seeing it as a judicial murder rather than a divine sacrifice.
Blake's work often featured religious symbols, such as the stony tablets of the Ten Commandments, which he used as a negative symbol throughout his work. He also depicted biblical characters such as Satan and Urizen, whom he associated with reason and the Age of Enlightenment. In his art and poetry, Blake explored his unique interpretation of religious figures and concepts, reflecting his questing and questioning approach to religion.
One of Blake's notable works influenced by his dreams and visions is "The Man Who Taught Blake Painting in His Dreams," attributed to John Linnell. This work depicts a figure resembling Blake himself, possibly representing the artist at the moment of inspiration or as a superior self. Blake's work often drew on his inner world and spiritual experiences, shaping his unique artistic and poetic style.
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The Bible as an influence
The Bible played a crucial role in William Blake's life and work. Blake, an English Romantic poet, painter, and printmaker, was commissioned to create around 80 works based on various biblical subjects. His unique interpretations of famous biblical scenes are infused with spirituality, magic, and personal experiences.
Blake's art and poetry reflect his deep engagement with the Bible. He saw himself as part of the prophetic tradition, continuing the work of John of Patmos, the author of the Book of Revelation. Blake's approach to the Bible remained consistent, even as his religious views evolved later in life. One of his most recognised paintings, "Urizen," depicts the mythological character of the same name, who represents the spectre of Satan and the power of reason in the Age of Enlightenment.
Blake's work often explored biblical themes and characters, such as Satan, Cain and Abel, and the Angels Hovering Over the Body of Christ in the Sepulchre. His Satan, created in 1789, is a tortured figure, observed from the sky by an intruder—Satan—and his symbolic animal, the serpent. Blake's "Cain Fleeing Abel" (1826) captures the moment Cain realises the magnitude of his crime, with a bloody-red sun and dark stormy clouds reflecting the despair and the new era it heralds.
Blake's "The Angels Hovering Over the Body of Christ in the Sepulchre" (c. 1805) is based on a vision he had as a child of a tree full of angels, which he interpreted as foreshadowing Jesus' Resurrection. His work also delved into biblical ideas like "defective divinity," drawing on Second-Temple Judaism and early Christianity.
In addition to his paintings and poetry, Blake created engravings for the Book of Job, offering a heuristic lens into his theology and interpretation of the Bible. His sketches for the Book of Enoch and other biblical watercolours further showcase his engagement with biblical themes. Blake's vivid imagination, visions, and mystical experiences led him on a spiritual journey of self-exploration, influencing his unique artistic and literary legacy.
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Blake's prophetic works
The English poet and artist William Blake, born in 1757, was known for his eccentric behaviour and solitary lifestyle. He was often seen as a madman during his lifetime, but today he is recognised as a highly spiritual artist and an important poet in English literature.
Blake's prophetic books are a series of lengthy, interrelated poetic works that draw upon his personal mythology. They are largely Biblical in inspiration but also contain political and religious content that has been extensively debated. These works include America a Prophecy (1793), Europe a Prophecy (1794), and The Song of Los (1795), which is made up of sections Africa and Asia. Another work, Vala, or The Four Zoas (1797), was abandoned in draft form and never completed.
Blake's art often depicted his visions and dreams, such as in the painting "The Man Who Taught Blake Painting in His Dreams". In this sketch, we see a figure that Blake encountered in his dreams, giving him advice on how to paint. The figure resembles Blake himself and may represent the artist at the moment of inspiration.
Blake's work explores his inner world and spiritual tasks, often depicting Los, the character with whom Blake most identified. Los represents the imagination and is connected to Enitharmon, who represents the moon to his sun. Blake's most recognised painting may be that of the mythological character Urizen, who has won the power struggle between the four Zoas. Urizen is depicted as an old bearded god-like figure kneeling on a flaming disk and measuring out a dark void with a golden compass.
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Frequently asked questions
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. He was born in 1757 and passed away in 1827.
No, Blake was largely unrecognised during his lifetime and was considered mad by his contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views. However, he is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age.
Blake's work was unique because, while most artists sought to develop art based on the external world, he chose to explore his inner world. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement and as "Pre-Romantic".
One of Blake's most recognised paintings depicts the mythological character of Urizen, who has won the power struggle between the four Zoas. Urizen is seen as an old bearded god-like figure kneeling on a flaming disk and measuring out a dark void with a golden compass.
Yes, Blake's work was influenced by his dreams and visions. One of his paintings, "The Man Who Taught Blake Painting in His Dreams", depicts a figure that Blake encountered in his dreams and visions, giving him advice on how to paint.
