And Did Those Feet in Ancient Times…

William Blake’s relevance today.

During his lifetime, William Blake (1757–1827) was an unknown poet, painter and printmaker who died penniless in an unmarked grave. It was only in the second half of the nineteenth century with the emergence of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who revived his memory as a kindred spirit, so that an awareness of his unique art began to grow.

He was resurrected again during the counterculture movement of the late sixties when there was, as Dylan sang, ‘music in the cafes at night, and revolution in the air.’ Blake’s new status as a revolutionary figure was mainly due to his anti-authoritarian, individualistic nature supported by quotes such as:

Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.

as well as his seeming approval of the emerging psychedelic drug culture -

The Road of excess leads to the place of wisdom.

Aldous Huxley named his book, The Doors of Perception, describing his experience with the hallucinogenic drug, mescaline, using a quote from Blake’s book, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

If the doors of perception were cleansed…