Revolution and war in Europe, slavery and exploitation in the European colonies, oppression and reaction at home in Great Britain—against this backdrop, William Blake created an astonishing oeuvre that combined his criticism of the world of the time with a vision of universal redemption. His work is still little known outside of England. Nevertheless, Blake was an artist of European significance—in terms of his ideals and ambitions, there are fascinating parallels with German contemporaries who turned to art to rebuild the world in the face of devastating political crises, most notably Philipp Otto Runge and Caspar David Friedrich. The catalogue explores the essential components of Blake’s work and reveals the artist as a true European, even though he never left Britain.

WILLIAM BLAKE (1757–1827) was an English poet, draughtsman, and printmaker. Born in London, he trained as an engraver and studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Arts. Blake’s works, which defied all styles, were characterized by the combination of image and text, for which he invented relief etching. His highly individual and visionary work was often rejected by his contemporaries.