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William Blake, the son of a draper from Westminster, was born on 28th November, 1757. At the age of eleven Blake entered Par's Drawing School in the strand. Three years later he was indentured as an apprentice to James Basire, engraver to the Royal Society of Antiquaries.
After marrying Catherine Boucher on 18th August 1782, Blake became a freelance engraver. His main employer was the radical bookseller, Joseph Johnson, and publisher of works by Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. Johnson, who been involved in establishing London's first Unitarian Chapel in 1774, also influenced Blake's religious views.
An exhibition of Blake's work at the Royal Academy in 1809 failed to attract any significant interest and he sank into obscurity. Blake continued to produce poetry, paintings and engravings but he rarely found customers for his work. William Blake died in 1827 and was buried in an unmarked grave at Bunhill Fields.
Below: Newton, 1795. This work shows the artist’s dislike of scientific enquiry and believed that it was destroying the soul of man. He therefore portrayed Sir Isaac Newton in a contorted position poring over his work and ignoring the surrounding beauties of nature.
I have fine art prints of this classic art at my online store. Newton
Below, God as Architect, 1794: An illustration from his book of poetry, Europa a Prophecy. However, this work is more popularly known as the Ancient of Days. This pre-Romantic etching depicts a very Newtonian God measuring out the dimensions of his creation.
I have canvas and poster reproductions of God as Architect available in my store.
God As Architect
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