Blake William, *28 November 1757 London, †12 August 1827 London, English poet, painter and printmaker. One of the major figures of classical art in the Romantic movement in art and literature; a personality of extraordinary sensitivity and painterly imagination. He never left England, and he assimilated many motifs from the works of Michelangelo and the Mannerists through engravings and the influence of J.H. Fuseli (in both cases, “sublimity” was associated with both “classical” and “Gothic” Romanticism); he had a great love for medieval art. He used the artistic qualities of illuminated manuscripts in his illustrated poetry collections: Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794). The mystical Songs of Innocence represent the world of children; they symbolise a state of pure, natural innocence, the “divine beginning of human nature”. They were arranged for soprano and string trio by B. Jacob (1922). The Songs of Experience evoke images of the misery of contemporary society, and the ideological messages contained in Blake’s poetry are brought to life in Songs and Proverbs of William Blake for baritone and piano, Op. 74, by B. Britten (1965). The poem The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1793) defies the literary conventions of its time and constitutes “as if the first outline of the entire system of Blake’s thought, encompassing so many areas at once” (W. Juszczak, transl. N.D.). The realm of this esoteric mythology is brought closer by H.W. Davies’ cantata Heavens Gate for mezzo-soprano, choir and small orchestra, set to Blake’s words (1917).
Blake created series of illustrations for his own poems and those of other authors: J. Milton, Dante (The Divine Comedy), as well as for the biblical Book of Job, in which musical instruments play an important symbolic role in Blake’s illustrative vision. Blake created a kind of pictorial commentary on Milton’s Paradise Lost, an epic poem in 12 books (1667), while K. Penderecki set it to music (Paradise Lost. Sacra rappresentazione, 1975–78, performed in Chicago in 1978 and Warsaw in 1979).
Among 20th-century composers, Blake also inspired G. Holst (songs for voice and piano), P. Hindemith (The Wild Flower’s Song with Nine English Songs for voice and piano), and M. Tippett (Song of Liberty) with his poetic works.
Editions: W. Blake Poezje wybrane, translation and introduction by Z. Kubiak, Warsaw 1972.
Literature: W. Gaunt Arrows of Desire. A Study of William Blake and His Romantic World, 1956; S. Helsztyński William Blake w świetle naszych badań, Warsaw 1958; Manifesty romantyzmu 1790–1830. Anglia, Niemcy, Francja, ed. A. Kowalczykowa, Warsaw 1975 (including W. Blake Zaślubiny Nieba i Piekła [The Marriage of Heaven and Hell], translated by W. Juszczak); W. Juszczak Laokoon Blake’a, in: Fakty i wyobraźnia, Warsaw 1979; A. Konopacki William Blake, Warsaw 1987.
