“On this day in 1820: The visionary heads and William Blake’s attitude towards death (Part II)”

Erle, S. (2020) “On this day in 1820: The visionary heads and William Blake’s attitude towards death (Part II)”. BARS blog.

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Abstract

This blog discusses Blake’s Visionary Heads not as a spiritual phenomenon but as an expression of continuing bonds and Blake’s attitude towards death. If we think of the drawing sessions not as séances but as contacts with the spiritual world, Blake’s vision about life after death will come into focus. While the early heads were created in a séance-like ambience, as noted by Bentley (2004 363, 366), the later ones are different. By 1820, the wild, mad and eccentric Blake had calmed down; his new-found serenity, according to Bentley, is reflected in the faces of the later Visionary Heads (2002, 184).

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2020 British Association for Romantic Studies. This is an author accepted manuscript of a paper subsequently published on BARS blog. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
Divisions:	School of Humanities
Depositing User:	Dr Sibylle Erle
Date Deposited:	15 Dec 2020 16:29
Last Modified:	15 Dec 2020 16:29
URI:	https://bgro.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/795

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