| THIS BOOK is the first installment
of an extended project, which will sort through and define useful categories
for evaluating William Blake as a producer of many different types of art.
This installment concentrates on technical aspects of Blake's achievement.
Viscomi argues that Blake restricted his production of illuminated books
to three distinct periods of his career. Blake worked systematically, making
plates, running his press, and water-coloring (with the help of his wife)
at particular times, rather than meeting the demands of specific customers
or patrons. Changes in Blake's methods suggest that he deliberately, if
unsuccessfully, sought commerial success. His innovations did not depend
solely on the desires (or perceived desires) of his patrons, but responded
to the technical demands of his medium. (Joan Menefee.) |