William Blake Life and Work' Shortcut

William Blake Life

William Blake is one of the greatest poets in English literature. He was born on November 28,1757 in London, England. He was the second son of James Blake, a London native of obscure origin who was a hosier by occupation. A few remarkable incidents of William Blake's childhood have been recorded.
When, at the age of four, he beheld God's head at a window and was seized with a fit of screaming. On other occasions, he informed his parents that during his walkabout the fields he had seen Angels and once he returned to say that the prophet Ezekiel had appeared to him under the tree. At the age of ten, he was enrolled in Henry Pars drawing school, from which at fourteen he advanced to a formal apprenticeship in the engraver's trade under James Basire. He was already writing verse, and several of the pieces collected in “Poetical Sketches" was composed when he was only twelve years old. In 1778, having qualified as an engraver, he began to accept commissions from booksellers. And he was quickly able to assert his professional competence.

In 1781 he fell in love with Catherine Boucher, reaching and understanding almost at once. He married her the following year. William Blake taught her to read, write, sketch, and Paint, and she became skilful enough to assist his labours.

William Blake Life and Work's

In the closing decade of the century William Blake, working almost frenziedly under the pressure of visionary experience while perfecting his mastery of artistic, published his lyric“Songs of Innocence and Songs Experience" in such a way as to coordinate his different talents. He employed it further in issuing his didactic and prophetic works, from, however, the illustrations for the ''Book of Job'' and his illustrations; Of Dante'' were engraved from watercolour drawings, as were the illustrations for ''Young's Night Thoughts, and numerous other books.

In which in such a way as to coordinate his different talent. In 1800, William Blake formed an association with William Hayley, who engaged him to illustrate“Life of Cowper" and he moved from London to Felpham, Sussex, in order to work there with Hayley. The scheme proved unsatisfactory, after three years he went back to London to set up a publisher of his own writings. Since his works were not in demand, his new venture failed and as a result, he and his wife lived in straitened circumstances, subsisting on commissions from Thomas Butts, already for some years William Blake patron. Thomas Butts was the first William Blake collector and enthusiastic. For an exhibition of his works in 1809, William Blake issued a Descriptive Catalogue in which, analyzing his painting of the Canterbury Pilgrims, he expounded his artistic theories.

He emerged as one of the most respected artists in London. Where he had many friends, including the well-known painter John Linnell. In this period he attained his zenith as designer and engraver. Since his lifetime, his work has become more and more a topic of specialized study, and the mystical symbolism of his prophetic books, in particular, has been subjected to much exegesis.

William Blake died on August 12, 1827, in London.