In a career that spanned a turbulent era in European history, William
Blake (1757-1827) produced one of the most celebrated and intense bodies
of works in the history of art. Neglected and misunderstood in his
lifetime, his extraordinary paintings, poetry, and prints now enjoy an
international reputation. Technically innovative, strikingly original,
and high personal in their symbolism, his images are both powerfully
immediate in their effects and challenging in their complexity. His
visual interpretations of the Bible and the poetry of Milton and Dante
demonstrate a fervid invention and a searching intellect that have
entranced generations of admirers.