William Blake: The Gates of Paradise

Two centuries ago, the industrial revolution was changing the world, forcing all to rethink the place of man in a universe rapidly becoming dominated by machines. William Blake rebelled against the smothering of individual human spirit and experience, choosing instead to celebrate them through his work and life. This choice made for a difficult life, as biographer Michael Bedard shows, but ultimately, a fulfilling one, as Blake's significant artistic contributions attest.

Blake was many things: a poet, an engraver, and a painter, among others. The range of his undertakings makes it difficult to see a unifying thread in the story of his life--the only problem in a book full of interesting and well-told accounts of the events that shaped this tumultuous period. Biographer Bedard solves the problem somewhat by highlighting Blake's realization of the importance of communication between "the inner world of spirit and vision and the outer world" and the lifelong journey of mystical exploration this led him to embark on. Focusing on the personalities of its main figures and the historical climate that influenced their lives, rather than on a detailed study of the artist's works, this entertaining biography will be of greatest interest to students who have already engaged with Blake's works.