William Blake: Visionary

A richly illustrated, comprehensive introduction to the visionary British artist William Blake. William Blake (1757-1827) is a universal artist--an inspiration to musicians, poets, performers, and visual artists worldwide. By combining his poetry and images on the page through radical printing techniques, Blake created some of the most striking and enduring images in art. His personal struggles in a period of political terror and oppression; creativity, inventiveness, and technical innovation; and vision and political commitment keep his work relevant today.

Featuring over 130 color images, this accessible yet comprehensive introduction to Blake's achievements and ambition includes discussions of his legacy in America; relationship to the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque artists who preceded him; visionary imagination; and unparalleled skill as a printmaker.

This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center July 21 to October 11, 2020.

Edina Adam is assistant curator of drawings at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Julian Brooks is senior curator and head of the Department of Drawings at the J. Paul Getty Museum. He is the author of many books, most recently The Lure of Italy: Artists’ Views (Getty Publications, 2017) and Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action (Getty Publications, 2015).