William Blake (1757–1827)

• Was an English poet, painter, and printmaker.
• His visual artistry led 21st-century critic Jonathan Jones to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced".
• In 2002, Blake was placed at number 38 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
• He lived in London his entire life, except for three years spent in Felpham.
• He produced a diverse and symbolically rich œuvre, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God" or "human existence itself".
• His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement and as "Pre-Romantic".
• Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American Revolutions.
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