Blake in Our Time : Essays in Honour of G.E. Bentley, Jr.

__Blake in Our Time__ explores the work of British poet and artist William Blake in the context of the material culture of his era. Blake In Our Time Explores The Work Of British Poet And Artist William Blake In The Context Of The Material Culture Of His Era. In The 1960s, University Of Toronto Scholar G.e. Bentley, Jr Almost Singlehandedly Shifted The Focus Of Blake Criticism From Formalism And Symbolism To The Materiality That Contextualizes Blake's Work. Following In The Footsteps Of Bentley's Pioneering Scholarship, This Collection, Richly Illustrated, Demonstrates That The Locus Of Blake's Work Lies In The Elements That Are Historically Particular To His Place And Time. Topics Include The Impact Of The Town Of Chichester On Blake's Imagination, The Material Processes Of Blake's Painting, The Detection Of A Blake Forgery, And New Biographical Materials, Using Archives And Online Resources, On Blake's Contemporaries, Patrons, Peers, And Friends. Essays On The Importance Of Blake Collections World-wide, On Variant Printings, And On The Heirs Of Blake In British Painting Extend The Focus Of This Remarkable Investigation To Include Chalcography And Book History.--pub. Desc. Collecting Blake / Robert N. Essick -- Two Fake Blakes Revisited; One Dew-smith Revealed / Joseph Viscomi -- Blake's Painting Materials, Technical Art History, And The Legacy Of G.e. Bentley Jr. / Joyce H. Townsend And Bronwyn A. Ormsby -- New Light On The Mathews: Flaxman And Blake's Early Gothicism / David Bindman -- 'a Lady's Book': Blake's Engravings For Hayley's The Triumphs Of Temper / Mark Crosby -- More On Blake's (and Bentley's) 'white Collar Maecenas': Thomas Butts, His Wife's Family Of Artisans, And The Methodist Withams Of St Bartholomew The Great / Mary Lynn Johnson -- 'went To See Blake - Also To Surgeons College': Blake And George Cumberland's Pocketbooks / Angus Whitehead -- George Richmond, Blake's True Heir? / Martin Butlin -- William Blake And Chichester / Morton D. Paley -- William Blake And The Straw Paper Manufactory At Millbank / Keri Davies -- Wlliam Blake In Toronto: The Bentley Collection At Victoria University Library / Robert Brandeis Edited By Karen Mulhallen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [273]-284) And Index. Includes Some Text In French. Contents 7 List of Illustrations with Permissions 9 Abbreviations 13 Acknowledgments 15 Introduction: Blake in Our Time – Minute Particulars 17 Part One: ‘Every Minute Particular Is Holy’: Materials 35 1. Collecting Blake 35 2. Two Fake Blakes Revisited; One Dew-Smith Revealed 51 3. Blake’s Painting Materials, Technical Art History, and the Legacy of G.E. Bentley Jr 95 Part Two: ‘For Friendship’s Sake’: Friends And Patrons 111 4. New Light on the Mathews: Flaxman and Blake’s Early Gothicism 111 5. ‘a Ladys Book’: Blake’s Engravings for Hayley’s The Triumphs of Temper 121 6. More on Blake’s (and Bentley’s) ‘White Collar Maecenas’: Thomas Butts, His Wife’s Family of Artisans, and the Methodist Withams of St Bartholomew the Great 147 7. ‘Went to see Blake – also to Surgeons college’: Blake and George Cumberland’s Pocketbooks 181 8. George Richmond, Blake’s True Heir? 217 Part Three: ‘What I Both See And Hear’: Architecture and Industry 231 9. William Blake and Chichester 231 10. William Blake and the Straw Paper Manufactory at Millbank 249 Epilogue: A Memorable Fancy 278 Appendix William Blake in Toronto: The Bentley Collection at Victoria University Library 281 Selected Bibliography 289 Contributors 301 Index 305 Blake in Our Time explores the work of British poet and artist William Blake in the context of the material culture of his era. In the 1960s, University of Toronto scholar G.E. Bentley, Jr almost singlehandedly shifted the focus of Blake criticism from formalism and symbolism to the materiality that contextualizes Blake's work.

Following in the footsteps of Bentley's pioneering scholarship, this collection, richly illustrated, demonstrates that the locus of Blake's work lies in the elements that are historically particular to his place and time. Topics include the impact of the town of Chichester on Blake's imagination, the material processes of Blake's painting, the detection of a Blake forgery, and new biographical materials, using archives and online resources, on Blake's contemporaries, patrons, peers, and friends. Essays on the importance of Blake collections world-wide, on variant printings, and on the heirs of Blake in British painting extend the focus of this remarkable investigation to include chalcography and book history.