Prophet, poet, painter, engraver – William Blake (1757–1827) was an artist of uniquely powerful imagination and far-reaching creative gifts.

Revealing Blake to be far more than a revolutionary social radical, this classic study, first published in 1968, reshaped our understanding of the artist’s achievement. Kathleen Raine – herself a renowned poet and critic – unravels the complex, deeply felt symbolism expressed in his paintings and prints, and describes the powerful impact of his reading of Dante, Milton and the Bible. Raine’s compelling and accessible text guides the reader through the life and thought of this extraordinary artist. Fully alive to the uniqueness of Blake’s vision, she relates the artist’s works to his world view and explains their prophetic qualities, their fierce energy and their central place in British Romantic art.