Blake, William (1757 - 1827)

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. What he called his "prophetic works" were said by 20th-century critic Northrop Frye to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". While he lived in London his entire life, except for three years spent in Felpham, he produced a diverse and symbolically rich collection of works, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God", or "human existence itself".

Although Blake was considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, he came to be highly regarded by later critics and readers for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement and as "Pre-Romantic". A theist who preferred his own Marcionite style of theology, he was hostile to the Church of England (indeed, to almost all forms of organised religion), and was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American revolutions. Although later he rejected many of these political beliefs, he maintained an amicable relationship with the political activist Thomas Paine; he was also influenced by thinkers such as Emanuel Swedenborg. Despite these known influences, the singularity of Blake's work makes him difficult to classify. The 19th-century scholar William Michael Rossetti characterised him as a "glorious luminary", and "a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors".

William Blake (28. november 1757 London – 12. august 1827) oli kunstniku ja kirjanikuna inglise romantismi üks olulisemaid esindajaid. Tema müstilised ettekuulutusraamatud ja luule põhinevad suuresti keerulisel ja kõikehõlmaval kunstnikumütoloogial ja Piiblil.

Kaasaegsed pidasid Blake'i ekstsentrikuks ja hullumeelseks ning ta jäi eraklikuks isegi olemuselt sarnaste ideaalidega romantikute hulgas. Blake oli fanaatilisusesse kalduv müstik ja radikaalsete vaadetega individualist.

William Blake (28. marraskuuta 1757 Lontoo – 12. elokuuta 1827 Lontoo) oli englantilainen runoilija, kuvataiteilija ja kirjanpainaja. Blaken tuotantoa luonnehtii mystiikka, okkultismi ja jyrkkä yhteiskuntakritiikki. Hän teki kirjansa täysin itse: hän kirjoitti, kuvitti, painoi ja kaiversi teoksensa. Aikalaisilta Blaken teokset eivät saaneet huomiota, vaan hänen tuotantonsa herätti kiinnostusta vasta 1900-luvulla.

William Blake (28. november 1757–12. august 1827) var ein engelsk diktar, mystikar, kunstnar og utgjevar. Han var lite akta i si eiga tid, men verka hans er av ettertida blitt sett på som skjelsetjande innan både litteratur og biletkunst. Blake laga mellom anna mange kontroversielle illustrasjonar til Bibelen, og er særs kjend for diktet Jerusalem, som er blitt ein slags uoffisiell engelsk nasjonalsong.

William Blake, född 28 november 1757 i London, död 12 augusti 1827 i London, var en brittisk poet, mystiker, konstnär och publicist, eller "upphovsman och tryckare", som han signerade många av sina böcker.