One of the most compelling figures in the history of British art and poetry, William Blake (1757–1827) developed an idiosyncratic worldview during a tumultuous era that witnessed the American and French Revolutions. He expressed his radical perspectives on religious belief, politics, and society through highly original illuminated books, watercolors, paintings, and poetry. This exhibition showcases the Yale Center for British Art’s impressive collection of works by Blake, with special focus on the inventive hand-printed publications that bring to life his poetry and prophecies.
The YCBA’s extensive holdings include Blake’s most innovative and celebrated books, such as Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1789–94) and The First Book of Urizen (1794). Blake’s mastery of watercolor painting and his phenomenal imaginative powers are evident in the one-of-a-kind illustrations for The Poems of Thomas Gray (between 1797 and 1798) and in the only fully hand-colored version of his culminating poem, the 100-page Jerusalem (1804–20). This stunning presentation highlights the artist’s ambitious vision and skill, as well as his unparalleled contributions to art, literature, and spirituality.
View works from the collection included in this exhibition here.
Access the large print labels here.
About William Blake
Born in London at a time of major social change and upheaval, Blake aspired to be an artist and a poet from a young age. During his apprenticeship, he developed an elegant black-and-white engraving style that he deployed in both commissioned and original prints and book illustrations. He is best known for devising an unorthodox technique to create colorful illuminated books that merged his poetry and his art. His most notable innovation was a method for printing text and image from a single copper plate. Blake’s work was largely unacknowledged during his lifetime, yet today his striking imagery and stirring words are widely celebrated.
Related Publication
Blake, the second volume in the YCBA’s Collection Series, examines the art and methods of William Blake through the lens of one of the great collections of his work. Written by Elizabeth Wyckoff, with an essay by Sarah T. Weston, the book features exquisite reproductions of his paintings, watercolors, prints, and illustrated books, including the only hand-colored copy of his epic poem Jerusalem.
Related Programs
Programs exploring multiple dimensions of Blake’s life, work, and legacy will accompany the exhibition. Please visit britishart.yale.edu for the most up-to-date information.
Opening Celebration
Thursday, September 4, 4–5 pm
A conversation with exhibition curators Elizabeth Wyckoff, Curator of Prints and Drawings, and Timothy Young, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, followed by gallery talks and a reception.
The Enduring Influence of William Blake
Thursday, October 30, 5–6 pm
Author John Higgs will talk with Timothy Young, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Songs from the Imagination: Music Inspired by the Poetry of William Blake
Thursday, November 20, 5–6:15 pm
Yale Voxtet, the Institute of Sacred Music’s select group of graduate student singers, will perform in the Library Court.
Create Community: Imagined Worlds in the Art of William Blake and Hew Locke
Thursdays, October 2, 16, and 23, 5:30–6:45 pm
This three-part workshop will explore William Blake: Burning Bright and Hew Locke: Passages through a close investigation of material and process. Enrollment is limited to twelve people, and preregistration is required.
Curator Tours
Thursdays, September 18, October 30, and November 20, 4 pm
Docent Tours
Saturdays, 3 pm
Selected works
Songs of Innocence, Frontispiece (Plate 1), 1789
I Want! I Want! (Plate 11), 1793
The Tyger (Plate 42), 1794
Preludium to the First Book of Urizen, “Of the primeval Priests assum'd power . . .” (Plate 2b), 1794
Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes; Title Page, between 1797 and 1798
Jerusalem: The Emanation of The Giant Albion, Title Page (Plate 2), 1804 to 1820
The Horse, ca. 1805
Jerusalem, Plate 28 Proof Impression, ca. 1820
Virgin and Child, between 1818 and 1826
Top image
William Blake, The Tyger (Plate 42, from Songs of Innocence and of Experience), detail, 1794, color-printed relief etching with hand coloring in watercolor, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Extended reading
