Pity, c. 1795 by William Blake, Tate Gallery, London.
From Shakespeare's Macbeth Act I, Scene VII when Macbeth what would happen after Duncan is murdered "And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air."
Blake's unique style developed from his training as an illustrator and his unbounded imagination.
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his training as an illustrator and his unbounded imagination.
What a formula!
Of course, Blake was also a poet and a mystic. Who hasn't heard the British hymn, Jerusalem, from which the movie "Chariots of Fire" borrowed its title? Almost everyone one has also recited, "Tiger, Tiger burning bright..." from another Blake poem.
Blake's art, however, is not to everyone's taste. He has atendency to be creepy. This was famously shown in the book and movie "Red Dragon" where the serial killer believes that one of Blake's Red Dragon series controls him.
I attended a William Bolcom concert Saturday. The piece was entitled "Songs of Innocence and Experience", which are two separate Blake poem cycles. Blake illustrated these poems with engravings, which he individually painted color onto. The concert showed his art- poetry and engravings/ paintings- while the songs were sung. It was an incredible experience- music, art, and poetry in synergy. Not for everyone- some people left during the concert. I was so moved that it prompted me to read about Blake for four hours on Sunday. Fascinating person.
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