In the words of William Blake, a British poet and engraver, only the eye could "see small portions of the eternal world that ever groweth." Blatant paranoia, sexual obsession, timeless pain and never-ceasing religious faith: these are the facets of the eternal that are captured in Blake's 1794 poem "Europa," quoted above. Moreover, these provide only a glimpse into the intense, expressive world created within Blake's engravings.
The University Art Museum is showcasing the engravings - visions not only of Blake's genius but also of the eternity within.
Described by exhibition curator Stephen Margulies as heralding "new ways of merging human imagination and divine insight," Blake captures what intrinsically is human within a very difficult medium. Despite the tedious process of engraving on copper plates, Blake's prints achieve a tremendous amount of detail, precision and emotional depth. The works indeed not only are beautiful and mesmerizing, but prophetic.
As an artisan of the 18th century, Blake could have had no way of knowing all that artists and scientists are aware of today. However, his works capture the more timeless struggle of humanity to understand not only the surrounding universe, but also the intricacies within the human body. Illustrating "Essays on Physiognomy" for author Johann Caspar Lavater, Blake not only displays his medical and scientific tendencies, but also foretells a greater scientific movement toward psychological acuity and idealism.
Beyond this scientific foresight, however, Blake is heralded for his representations and illustrations of older texts. Published in 1825, late in his career, "Illustrations on the Book of Job" follows not precisely the book of the Old Testament, but instead Blake's own personal vision.
One of the more noted prints from the collection, "With dreams upon my bed thou scarest me and affrightest me with visions" creates a terrifying blend of religious nightmares. With the intertwining of a serpent around their closely united figures, Satan, God and Job tend to appear more as one monster than as three individuals. Blake's engraving becomes one of the deepest paranoia, allowing no distinction between man's vision of the divine and his jolting nightmare. To Blake, perhaps even this terror was prophetic. His own sense, similar to that of many of his contemporaries, was that the world and the afterlife were falling apart before his eyes.
Indeed, many of Blake's works seemed to assume a power of their own, taking on a sense of doom that was not initially intended. Blake's illustrations within "For Children: The Gates of Paradise" were intended for the perusal and edification of children, to portray and define earthly themes. However, Blake's representation of the four universal elements - water, air, earth and fire - took on a more sexual and violent characterization.
Earth strains to hold the pressures of the world above his head. Fire looks more like Milton's devils than anything earthly - certainly not childproof, and not pleasing to adults either. To many viewers, the engravings are not simply representations of strife, but a more complex denial of mortal desires in the face of more definite divine intentions.
Blake's plan seems to have been the portrayal of reality, a prophetic reality he sensed within the blending of different visions and ideals. One of Blake's most famous collections of poetry, the "Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience," captures the sense within the engravings presented here. Neither innocence nor experience is the entire picture, just as neither human idealism nor divine wisdom is entirely in control. Blake's engravings instead help to define the confusion and the intrinsic power within that vision.
On display now through March 31 at the University Art Museum, the engravings of Blake cannot be relegated to his time period. Instead, they encapsulate a power that seems especially appropriate to our society today.
Realize the truth not only of science but also of humanity. Understand the vision of a higher power. Be terrified and awed by that divine authority. Even have nightmares about it if you dare. But live and experience all the beauty and wisdom that Blake achieved two centuries before.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
