William Blake

William Blake was born in 1757 in London, England. Blake left school at age ten, after which he was educated at home by his mother. At age 21, Blake became a professional engraver. The following year, Blake began studying at the Royal Academy. He released his first collection of poems, Poetical Sketches, in 1783. In 1788, Blake began experimenting with relief etching, a type of printing he used with most of his books, paintings, and poems. Later in his career, Blake wrote and illustrated his most ambitious work, Jerusalem. Though he was largely unrecognized in his lifetime, Blake’s merits as a poet and visual artist are celebrated today.