“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Ephesians 6:12, epigraph to Vala or The Four Zoas
In the same manner that Paul urges us towards a vision of the spiritual world encompassing our material existence, so to does the art of William Blake. But, as is often the case with life, we usually miss the picture when it comes to Blake and his work. We suffer from “one-eyed vision.” The study of Blake usually neglects his talents as a visual artist. Yet, to fully appreciate the power of his genius, we must see, or at least attempt to see, the way Blake wants us to, which means taking notice not only of the words on the page, but what surrounds the words as well. In this course we will look at William Blake in his entirety not only by reading many of his major works, but also by studying the artistry of his illuminated manuscripts.
