William Blake’s art represented a world experienced in his imagination, dreams, and visions; a fantastical reality very far removed from the life of poverty he suffered daily as a struggling artist.
When not working as an apprentice, Blake would spend his time studying artworks from the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, especially the works of Michelangelo, Raphael, and Albrecht Dürer.
Blake often mixed socially at various cultural gatherings around London town, but he was not necessarily an easy-going individual, and would often get into heated debates about his philosophies about his art and current trends.
Many of William Blake’s artworks from his later period were commissioned by Linnell, who also bought many of William Blake’s paintings that had already been produced.
Blake’s initial biggest artistic influence was the Master Renaissance era artists such as Raphel and Michelangelo. Many of William Blake’s paintings display his love for their use of form.
Of course, one of the biggest influences on William Blake’s illustrations was his nightly hallucinations and ghostly visitations – something that he said he had experienced from a very young age.
Some of Blake’s most notable artworks include The Ancient Days (1794), Isaac Newton (1795), and The Angels Hovering Over the Body of Christ in the Sepulcher (1805), among others.