| |
In August
1779, Blake was admitted to the Royal
Academy (founded by the painter Sir Joshua Reynolds
who was then its president). Paying his way by producing
engravings for novels and catalogues, Blake drew from
casts, life models and corpses, and shared in the
dream of founding a new English school of historical
painting.
There was, however, friction between Blake and his teachers.
Reynolds recommended that he work with 'less extravagance
and more simplicity', while George Michael Moser,
another teacher there, discouraged Blake's admiration
for the 'old, hard, stiff and dry unfinished works'
of Raphael and Michelangelo. On the other hand, Blake
was inspired by the artist James
Barry and his grand historical paintings. He made
friends with other young artists and was able to exhibit
his own historical watercolours.
Blake married Catherine Boucher at St
Mary's, Battersea in 1782. The newly-weds then
moved out of Blake's father's house to Green
Street, near Leicester Square. In the next year
Blake's Poetical Sketches were published, and
there was even talk of raising a subscription to send
him to study in Rome.
|
