William Blake, - Couverture rigide

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0804615683 ISBN 13 : 9780804615686

Synopsis

Book by De Selincourt Basil

A propos du livre

Biographie de l'auteur

William Blake (1757 – 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". In 2002, Blake was placed at number 38 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. Although he lived in London his entire life (except for three years spent in Felpham), he produced a diverse and symbolically rich oeuvre, 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 is held in high regard by later critics 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". Reverent of the Bible but hostile to the Church of England (indeed, to almost all forms of organised religion), Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American Revolutions. Though later he rejected many of these political beliefs, he maintained an amiable 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 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".

Présentation de l'éditeur

THE history of BLAKE's life has been so often written that it would waste ink and paper to write it over again. Thanks to researches undertaken by Mr. Arthur Symons, We know now exactly where each member of Blake's family was christened and where buried, with the registered number and the cost of their graves. We know also that Blake was not the son of an Irish runaway who had changed his name. Who but an Irishman could have supposed he was so? The most remarkable fact about Blake is the stability of his character: “That a man so impressionable and so hot-headed never left his moorings. Undoubtedly they were both deep and strong.” As to his life itselft,he main outlines of it are sufficiently well known. Blake's character is so absorbing that there is a temptation to regard his circumstances as of more interest than they are. The fact is that they merit the epithet which has been applied to them by Blake's most recent critic and eulogist in France. They were banal. It comes somewhat as a shock to the English reader to receive this information, but the truth, having been told, must be admitted.

Détails de l'édition

• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0804615683
• ISBN 13: 9780804615686
• Reliure: Relié
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible