William Blake Documentary South Bank Show

SlipNet said:
Found this rather interesting documentary, made by Melvyn Bragg, who's a decent bloke in my view. If anyone has an interest in Blake this is well worth a watch.:-)
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Will check it out - noticed a Blake quote on SoTT today:

Quote of the Day
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If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.
'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell'​

- William Blake
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Found another good Blake documentary, subtitled "Soul of Albion". The man was possibly a schizophrenic, but most crucially he was a polymath and a genius. He conversed with spirits on a daily basis, and claimed they inspired his artwork as well as his writings.

I've got two books of his coming in the post this week, can't wait; one is full of his artwork, the other is his complete writings. Should keep me busy and entertained.

 
Found another selection of programmes on Blake here also. I must say that he's one of the most inspiring figures I've come across, to combine writing with artwork in such an idiosyncratic way, always staying true to the vision. His use of colour is superb, and his draughtsmanship is exceptional. not to mention his very ahead of his time thoughts on politics, religion and the spiritual. If the books I've ordered arrive tomorrow I'll be a very happy man.

 
Had previously meant to post this, SlipNet, just in case you have never heard Loreena McKennitt's Lullaby, here with lyrics by William Blake (with Douglas Campbell reciting).


O for a voice like thunder, and a tongue
To drown the throat of war!
When the senses
Are shaken, and the soul is driven to madness,
Who can stand?
When the souls of the oppressèd
Fight in the troubled air that rages, who can stand?
When the whirlwind of fury comes from the
Throne of God, when the frowns of his countenance
Drive the nations together, who can stand?
When Sin claps his broad wings over the battle,
And sails rejoicing in the flood of Death;
When souls are torn to everlasting fire,
And fiends of Hell rejoice upon the slain,
O who can stand?
O who hath causèd this?
O who can answer at the throne of God?
The Kings and Nobles of the Land have done it!
Hear it not, Heaven, thy Ministers have done it!

- William Blake
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SlipNet said:
I must say that he's one of the most inspiring figures I've come across, to combine writing with artwork in such an idiosyncratic way, always staying true to the vision. His use of colour is superb, and his draughtsmanship is exceptional. not to mention his very ahead of his time thoughts on politics, religion and the spiritual.
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Couldn’t agree more Slipnet,

His version of the Tarot also quite profound I find, particularly the zero card equated with the ‘Fool’ -


92E33BFB-457C-46E1-911D-131825E4C307.jpeg


The protagonist clearly identified in the original plate -


06A23500-974F-4F2A-B0BF-109CEA7DF16B.jpeg


Q: Another funny thing is that, a few days later we bought this book about the Holy Grail and it talks about dreams of people switching between being black and white, and about birds that represent this concept such as the magpie, the balance between good and evil and so forth.

A: Theme presents itself in balanced cycle. Search for grey middle ground when tempted to choose either black or white.

Q: Anything else on this?

A: No.
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Thanks for sharing those gold nuggets guys, food for the soul. He just may be my favourite artist of all time. That lullaby recital is excellent, with a message that remains true to this day. Who can stand, indeed?

The Tarot pictures capture his great engraving skills. There are many examples in his artwork of hapless characters heading for a fall. His work is deeply emotional, and in that I mean in the fullest sense, the whole range of emotions.
 
It's really interesting thinking about the soul of a person like William Blake, and what we can learn from such a figure today. He was a classic Romantic, who was seeking to resurrect the English soul beyond the fashions and modes of his time. Technically he can't be faulted, and lyrically he'd be derided as a conspiracy theorist if he were alive today. I missed my delivery by courier this morning so I've got to wait another day for the books, gotta get an early night to receive them tomorrow. I cannot wait for the artwork book, with all his paintings and engravings contained within. A goldmine in my view.

I'll keep adding Blake content to this thread because I consider him to be one of the great artists of history, with much he can share about the human experience.
 
All these vids I've put up about Blake are from a BBC Blake Night from about 2001/2. This is a dramatisation of late period Blake when he was followed by a young band of truth seeking libertines in London. It's well acted and features a fine portrayal of the man himself from English character actor Kenneth Cranham. You see the naivete in the devotees along with the world weary musings of the old fella. Lots to enjoy here in a short but concise 30 min piece.

 
Hi again SlipNet,

Given your enthusiasm for Blake I was wondering if you were aware that it was his namesake (the son of a close friend) that was responsible for the mosaics and some of the windows of St Paul’s Cathedral?




Also some wonderful paintings such as the glorious Venus and Anchises.


artsandculture.google.com

Venus and Anchises - William Blake Richmond - Google Arts & Culture

Instigated by Jupiter, Venus fell in love with Anchises; here she visits him on Mount Ida; their son will be the great hero Aeneas. The artist saw the arri...
artsandculture.google.com artsandculture.google.com


Coincidentally Julius Caesar’s mythological ancestors 😊

Some other cool stuff here if you like.


Sir William Blake Richmond - 69 artworks - Art Renewal Center

RICHMOND, SIR WILLIAM BLAKE (1842-1921), English painter and decorator, was born in London on the 29th of November, 1842. His father, George Richmond, R.A. (1809-1896), himself the son of a successful miniature painter, was a distinguished artist, who painted the portraits of the most eminent...
www.artrenewal.org www.artrenewal.org


Another very gifted fellow imo 👍
 
gnosisxsophia said:
Given your enthusiasm for Blake I was wondering if you were aware that it was his namesake (the son of a close friend) that was responsible for the mosaics and some of the windows of St Paul’s Cathedral?
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I just checked out the link of St. Paul's, the work is breathtaking. We take visuals a little for granted in our mass media age, but looking back it's easy to forget just how innovative the visual arts were for stirring the mind and imagination. Thanks for sharing, I'll check out the other links later when I have more time.
 
The following video is a montage of many of the great man's works, there's plenty to feast the eyes upon here. An interesting fact is that he taught his wife to read and write, and she subsequently became his partner in the studio as well. She'd give honest feedback on his work. As a collaborative process I have no doubt it worked out well, the pictures and poetry stir the senses, always provocative but never over the top.

His imaginings of the spiritual realm have always amazed me. I know the C's said that Kandinsky's art was representative of 4d, but I have to say I gravitate more closely to Blake's vision. Modernist art styles do nothing for me sadly.

 
Just found this upload of Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell", complete with lengthy intro. A sprawling epic poem, a free form screed on the awe of existence. I recently purchased a Tate Press book of his collected paintings, a bargain at £40. I have his collected poetry anthology too. Listen if you're in any way interested in a deep, sensitive soul. A true visionary with an exceptional imagination.

 
Found a Blake Society YT channel, and this short talk on both the great man and Tolkien. The power of the imagination is the seed of their shared genius. Blake taught himself Hebrew in order to better grasp his knowledge of scripture. Tolkien of course was a legend of linguistics. His Elvish tongue is very reminiscent of Old Welsh in many respects too. There's a lot of good content on this YT channel, I'll spend a few days sampling the selection and may share any of interest. Both Artists were consumate world builders, tight well composed creators of atmosphere. Reading Blake inspires me to attempt my own poetry, to give me an outlet of the monstrous pandora's box of the subconscious. It's good to find a safe way to vent in this world.:cool2:

 
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