Exhibition of William Blake at Tate Britain

Name: William Blake

Dates: until 2 February 2020

Venue: Tate Britain

Location: Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Artist’s profile

Artist: William Blake

Origins: British (1757 – 1827)

Art movement: Romanticism

Period: 19th century (first half)

Famous paintings: The Ancient of Days, Albion Rose, The Good and Evil Angels

William Blake is mostly known for his poetry but he was also a famous artist and a print maker. In 1779 he started studying at Royal Academy of Arts.

Portrait of William Blake

Graphite with black, white and grey washes on paper

Collection of Robert N. Essick

Photo: tadart.co.uk

Albion Rose

Colour engraving and etching on paper

The Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens

Photo: tadart.co.uk

The exhibition displays many of his prints with his illustrations and poetry. Printmaking was one of the key sources of income during his whole career. He even created a new form of printmaking that is known as ‘relief etching’. This new method allowed him to combine text and imagines as well as to use colour. To this every day it remains a mystery how his printmaking method works.

Europe, a Prophecy (Copy E)

Relief and while-line etching with colour printing and hand colouring

Library of Congress, Lessing J. Rosenwald collection

Photo: tadart.co.uk

As many artists he was dependent on the support of his friends, family and a few wealthy patrons for whom he worked. Blake often depicted mythological characters as well as drew inspiration from the Bible, Milton and Shakespeare.