William Blake 1757-1827
William Blake was born on November 28th, 1757 in Soho, London. He was one of six children and lived a very happy childhood, remembered as a intelligent and well read young boy. Blake left school at the early age of 10 to attend a drawing school for 5 years, During that time he began to write poetry. Blake could not afford to do a painter's apprenticeship and instead did his apprenticeship with the engraver, James Basire. A few years after, William Blake joined the Royal Academy of Art and married a woman named Catherin Boucher. A few years later, he opened up his own shop but was unsuccessful. Blake's first prints were 'Natural Religion', 'Songs of Innocence', 'Marriage of Heaven and Hell' and 'Songs of Experience', a book that deals with corruption and social injustice. In 1800, Blake moved to Felpham in West Sussex, where he decorated William Hayley's library with 18 heads of poets. Soon after this, Blake was charged with treason and put on trial in Chichester, he moved back to London and was acquitted of high treason. An exhibition of Blake's work was held in 1809 at the Royal Academy but it failed to attract any customers, he continued to create poetry, paintings and engravings but there was rarely any customers looking to buy his work. William Blake died at the age of 69 on August 12th, 1827 in London, United Kingdom, where he was buried in an unmarked grave at Bunhill Fields.
William Blake was considered a seminal figure in the history of poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age and was a forerunner of the 19th Century “Free Love Movement”. Blake was a very unnoticed person in his lifetime but now his works have been constantly discussed and criticised over the 20th Century. Blake's beliefs of equality and religion are portrayed throughout his life and poems and he will always be remembered as a captivating and inspiring man of many talents and skills.
William Blake was considered a seminal figure in the history of poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age and was a forerunner of the 19th Century “Free Love Movement”. Blake was a very unnoticed person in his lifetime but now his works have been constantly discussed and criticised over the 20th Century. Blake's beliefs of equality and religion are portrayed throughout his life and poems and he will always be remembered as a captivating and inspiring man of many talents and skills.