Behold The Great Dragon

Unearthly visions Truly original and a significant influence on fantasy art, William Blake is being celebrated with a major new exhibition in London. Garrick Webster finds out what’s on show

- Garrick Webster

London’s art scene is bracing itself as a new William Blake exhibition opens at Tate Britain on 11 September. Over 300 works by the painter, engraver and poet are to go on display for the five-month show, together with a series of exhibits to emphasise Blake’s relevance in the 21st century.

Often associated with patriotic fervour due to his poem Jerusalem, Blake was actually a maverick in his day and regularly clashed with authority. During the years of this life – 1757 to 1827 – Britain was in a state of political and religious turmoil, while revolution raged in Europe and the US. This fed into his work, but he allowed his imagination to reign supreme and, though often inspired by the Bible, Shakespeare and Milton, his paintings are dominated by spirits, visions and holy characters of Blake’s own invention. Works such as The Great Red Dragon and the Beast from the Sea, and The Ancient of Days are among the paintings you’ll be able to experience at Tate Britain.

The immediacy of Blake’s style is what gives his work its impact, even if you aren’t aware of the complex poetic and classical references that inspired the artist. “That was something which disturbed many of his contemporaries, but it’s also his strength. It’s something we want to emphasise in this show, giving visitors a chance to encounter his art in an immediate and direct way,” says Martin Myrone, the lead curator of pre-1800 British Art at Tate Britain.