The Alchemy of William Blake

Hardcover with dustjacket. Colour edition. To better understand William Blake, it is necessary to understand his sources of inspiration. While much has been written about the influences of Paracelsus and Swedenborg on his work, a key influence on Blake was the self-taught sixteenth-century mystic Jacob Boehme. Blake and Boehme believed they had mystical experiences and visions that inspired their writing. This book embarks on a profound exploration of the connection between these two visionaries. The author meticulously dissects Blake's tempera painting 'An Allegory of the Spiritual Condition of Man' to comprehensively analyse Blake's beliefs. The book carefully examines the painting as a whole and its constituent parts, exploring the relationships between them before reassembling it. 'An Allegory of the Spiritual Condition of Man' has rich potential for interpretation, encompassing both Kabbalistic and alchemical perspectives. The author skilfully incorporates these interpretations into the book's structure, leading readers on a fascinating journey of discovery and deepening their understanding and appreciation of the philosophical alchemy underpinning Blake's mysticism.