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The English poet and artist. The son of a merchant. Adjacent to the democratic London correspondent society". In the Prophetic books" (1789--1820) B. reflected the events of the French revolution and the American war of independence, using mythological and biblical images. As an artist B. illustrated watercolors and prints of their own poems ("Songs of innocence", 1789), the "Book of job" (1818--25, ed. in 1826), "the divine Comedy" Dante (1825--27). Art B. tends to romantic fiction and symbolism, philosophical allegory, bold, but a random game lines.

The son of a merchant Jersey. In ten years he entered the school of drawing GPRS. About fifteen years old was taken in discipleship to the engraver; in 1779, he enrolled in school at the Royal Academy, where he first exhibited his painting (1780). In 1784 he married Catherine Boucher. In 1783 friends Blake paid publication Poetical sketches (Poetical Sketches). Soon after that, he began trading in engravings and prints together with Cepacia, companion discipleship; partnership lasted until 1787. In that year, he lost most loved of his brother Robert. In 1791 Blake started to produce the now famous "illuminated books - printed in color with engraved copper plates or painted watercolor on an one-colour printed circuits. The book painted on the taste of the buyer and brought Blake modest income; to the end of his life he occasionally made new instances.

Until the thirtieth anniversary of Blake his works were known in a relatively narrow range. He became better known after undertook to illustrate popular in the mid-18th century philosophical poem Eunha Night thoughts (Night Thoughts). Blake quickly fulfilled 537 watercolor drawings; they had to engrave and print on large sheets as a frame for the text of the poem. In 1797 was printed part 1 43 engravings; the publication was not a success and was stopped. Fortunately, Blake found philanthropist, Tsatsa, an official in the office of the chief recruiter who constantly bought his paintings over the next thirty years.

In 1818 Blake met a young painter John Lindela, they became friends, and Linnel suggested Blake to comply with its financial assistance - prints-illustrations to the Book of job. They were published in 1826. After this work, again with the support Lindela, Blake began to train 100 illustrations for Dante's divine Comedy and finished 7 prints. The last they lived years were the happiest period of his life. Died Blake in London August 12, 1827.

Blake-poet takes place in the first row of English writers. His works can be divided into two groups: the lyrical and philosophical (or mystical). He perfectly knew the poetry of Elizavetino and the subsequent time, and in the earliest his poems included in Poetical sketches (1783), visible elements follow.

In 1789 Blake released Songs of innocence (Songs of Innocence), the first serious work designed to editions of his innovative method "illuminated printing press" - when text and decorative figure graviroid as a whole. Child of innocence many poems, honest, they contain a foretaste of the "romantic revival", the beginning to which I will Oversmart in 1798. In 1794 Songs of innocence were published together with the Songs of experience (Songs of Experience).

Unassuming simplicity pressed symbolism hidden meaning but in direct perusal they conquer lyrical power and identity. Many of the Songs experience were first recorded in Notepad Blake (known as Manuscripts Rossetti) together with other lyrical poems, sometimes beautiful, but not used in any publication. From this time the thrust of Blake to lyric poetry as if exhausted or her out of a strong desire to symbolic epic and satire. Already in 1787 poet used symbols and allegories in an unpublished poem Tiriel (Tiriel), written in blank verse; it portrayed the decadence of previous English shrines - law and arts. Symbols and allegories are also present in the 1st book of the French revolution The French Revolution, 1791), epic poem depicting the events in France.

After 1790 Blake has printed a series of "illuminated books", it included: the Marriage of Heaven and Hell (The Marriage of Heaven and Hell), the poem in white poetry and prose, where satire on Asodesbol intertwined with metaphysical and religious reasoning. Here, in the famous Proverbs of hell (Proverbs of Hell), Blake also demonstrated his gift of paradoxalist; the Book of tel (The Book of Thel), fine allegory about the descent of the soul from everlasting to death; Visions of the daughters of Albion (Visions of the Daughters of Albion), where Blake protects free love, but recognizes its unattainable ideal; America, prophecy (America, a Prophecy), in which the American revolution symbolizes eternal change of oppression and revolt; the First book of Urizen (The First Book of Urizen), universal creation myth the material world and of the human race, dying to sin; Europe (Europe), where Blake indicates that Europe mistakenly credited "feminine" laws and ideals; Book Loos (The Book of Los), the Book Ahani (The Book of Ahania), Song Loos (The Song of Los), which continues the theme of universal myth. These symbolic works written in free blank verse, hard to read due to intentional complexity of the content. A few years Blake wrote, was converted and copied the poem Shaft, or Sleep nine nights (Vala, a Dream of Nine Nights), then called the Four Sousa (The Four Zoas), but never finished it and have not collected the scattered pages in any meaningful sequence. In the poem is excellent fragments, connecting it with the last two illuminated books" - Milton (Milton), in which the problem of evil in the world correlated with own spiritual struggles Blake, and Jerusalem (Jerusalem), final epic work, where the person is aware of their error and finally overcomes them, connecting with God. The last major poem Blake series of fragments, known as the Everlasting gospel (The Everlasting Gospel).

Creativity Blake-artist can be divided in phases of its prevailing interests. The first (1790-1795) - a surge splendor, revealed in 11 large color prints, the best of which is God creating Adam (God Creating Adam). Since 1790 Blake has created an extensive series of illustrations to the books of the old and New Testaments in watercolor and tempera. Blake was convinced that painting his fellow competitors will lose the durability of his painted with tempera "paintings Cabinet size", however, most of them cracked and darkened, but something died. In 1810-1817 Blake has produced several excellent series of watercolor illustrations to Milton and Shakespeare. After 1817 he was engaged mainly painting and engraving of illustrations to the Book of job, and then to Dante.