Question 1

Where can I see William Blake's work?

Accepted Answer

William Blake's art can be viewed in several locations. In the United Kingdom, these include the British Library, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, all in London. Outside of London, you can find his work at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

In the United States, several institutions hold collections of Blake's art. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven; the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York; and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. His art can also be seen at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

Question 2

Where can I see William Blake paintings?

Accepted Answer

William Blake's works can be seen at National Gallery of Art, Rosenwald Collection, Yale Center for British Art, and 2 other museums worldwide.

Question 3

What should I know about William Blake's prints?

Accepted Answer

William Blake, born in London in 1757, was a poet, painter and printmaker. Apprenticed to engraver James Basire at 14, he later studied at the Royal Academy. He made a living producing engravings for books; however, his opinions often put him at odds with his tutors.

Blake invented a unique printing method, revealed to him (he claimed) by his dead brother Robert. Around 1788, he began creating illuminated books, combining text and image on a single printing plate. He drew and lettered on copper-plate using an acid-resistant medium, then etched the plate with acid, leaving the text and decorations in relief. Printed in black, these could then be coloured by hand. *Songs of Innocence* (1789) was made using this method.

Blake's work became more radical after the French Revolution in 1789. He adapted his printing for full-scale paintings and received commissions for engravings and watercolours. Blake also worked in tempera, woodcut, and monotype. His prints often express his views on human dishonesty and oppression. His illustrations for the Book of Job, completed in 1821, are among his best-known works. Other examples include illustrations for Young’s *Night Thoughts*, *Jerusalem*, and Blair’s *Grave*.

Question 4

Why are William Blake's works important today?

Accepted Answer

William Blake (1757-1827) was a poet and artist who has remained relevant due to his unique approach to both art forms. Blake's works often combined visual elements with poetry, creating a multi-layered experience for the audience. His illuminated books, such as *Songs of Innocence and of Experience*, exemplify this synthesis, where the text and illustrations are integral to each other. Blake's art often explored complex themes, including spirituality, politics, and the nature of human existence. He challenged conventional artistic and social norms, making him a figure of interest for those who question established systems. His emphasis on imagination and individual vision continues to resonate in contemporary culture. Blake's influence can be seen in various fields, including literature, art, and music, demonstrating his lasting impact on creative expression. His works encourage viewers to engage critically with the world and to value the power of imagination.

Question 5

Was William Blake christian?

Accepted Answer

William Blake was a religious man, though he disagreed with Church teachings. His painting, The Ancient of Days, is an expression of God's perfection.

Question 6

What techniques or materials did William Blake use?

Accepted Answer

William Blake trained as an engraver, and he combined his poetry with his artwork. In 1788, he began producing illuminated books using a technique that he claimed was revealed to him in a vision. This launched a particularly creative and productive period in his life.

Blake employed several techniques, including tempera, woodcut, relief etching, monotype, and watercolour. He avoided oil paints, believing they lacked clarity of line. For his series of 12 prints that included *Elohim Creating Adam*, Blake invented a process similar to monotype. This involved painting an image on a surface, then pressing paper against the wet surface to attain a counterimage.

For this series, Blake outlined his image in black paint on millboard, often adding a small amount of modelling. He would pull roughly three paper impressions from the millboard, using low pressure. To finish his image, he would paint the millboard again, but with colours, and press it on top of the pulled impressions with the black design. He then touched up the works with watercolour. Although Blake is said to have used oil paint for his printing, he most likely used an egg-based tempera.

Question 7

Who did William Blake influence?

Accepted Answer

William Blake's singular style and mystical leanings influenced a range of artists, particularly after his wider recognition almost a century after his death in 1827.

Blake encouraged the young painter Samuel Palmer to cultivate his imaginative powers. Palmer, in turn, created original works in the west of Kent. Some critics see Palmer's dark, stylised woodland scenes as the start of an exaggerated visionary style that continued through Van Gogh, Gauguin, Munch, the Fauves, Hartley, and Burchfield. Palmer's dreamy paintings also anticipated Symbolism and Impressionism. He later founded a group called The Ancients, who embraced pre-Renaissance art for its spiritual elements. The Pre-Raphaelite painters sought out Palmer because of his art and his connection to Blake.

Blake's art is related to that of John Henry Fuseli. Both artists have only recently been rediscovered by the Modern Movement. Around 1900, artists like Franz von Bayros and Aubrey Beardsley saw eroticism as related to pain and suffering, as did Fuseli. Blake's work has similarities with that of Runge. Goethe said of Runge, "A man so on a knife edge will die or go mad," which could also apply to Blake.

Question 8

Who influenced William Blake?

Accepted Answer

William Blake drew upon varied sources, including the Bible, mythology, and literature. His painting *The Ancient of Days* (1794) alludes to a passage in Proverbs, and the figure resembles Michelangelo's God. Blake's work also reflects his personal religious beliefs, which often diverged from established Church teachings.

Blake was apprenticed to James Basire, an engraver for the London Society of Antiquaries, at age fourteen. He then attended the Royal Academy, where he learned by drawing from casts, life models, and corpses. However, he often disagreed with his tutors. Blake's independent spirit led him to rely on his 'inner eye' rather than drawing directly from life. He consciously rejected traditional artistic standards, prioritising the symbolic importance of his visions over accurate representation. Blake's singular approach initially shocked his contemporaries, and recognition came slowly.

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Where to See William Blake

Where to see William Blake

Yale Center for British Art

Tate

Manchester Art Gallery

National Gallery

Fitzwilliam Museum

British Museum

National Gallery of Art

Victoria and Albert Museum

Pollok House

Museum of Fine Arts Boston

William Blake prints

National Gallery of Victoria

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

The Morgan Library & Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Whitworth Art Gallery

The William Blake Archive

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