William Blake’s artistic feat, from ancient times...
A DRAWING of William Blake – believed to be his only selfportrait – is to go on show in the UK for the first time.
The 1802 pencil piece will be part of a major exhibition at Tate Britain on the Romantic artist and writer, possibly best known for the poem that became the lyrics to the hymn Jerusalem.
The work has been displayed only once before, as part of a show in the US, but has never been available to see in Blake’s home country.
The portrait, in which the subject appears to be around 45, will be displayed alongside a similar pencil drawing of his wife Catherine Blake to highlight her enormous impact and influence on him and his work.
While there is no definitive evidence that the work is a selfportrait, curator Martin Myrone said the ‘compelling’ and ‘hugely revealing’ image was ‘most likely’ drawn by Blake.
The Tate exhibition will highlight Blake’s contribution to visual arts and continued political relevance, showing 300 well-known works and many previously unseen pieces.
Blake lived from 1757 to 1827, but the eccentric and mystic nature of his work meant his genius was not fully recognised until after his death, when he came to embody the Romantic reaction to science and industry. William Blake runs at Tate Britain from September 11 to February 2, 2020.