The Hamburger Kunsthalle presents William Blake’s Universe, an exhibition dedicated to the extraordinary works of William Blake, from June 14th to September 8th, 2024. The show brings together the extensive Blake collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the bequest of renowned Blake collector Geoffrey Keynes.
The exhibition explores Blake’s unique artistic vision, expressed through his prints, paintings and poetry. Created against a backdrop of European revolution and war, slavery and oppression, Blake’s works critique his world while envisioning universal redemption. His mystical imagery and literary works remain influential in modern popular culture, although his art is not widely known outside England.
The exhibition is divided into several chapters, each devoted to a different period in the artist’s career. Chapter I: The Past. Antiquity and the Gothic highlights Blake’s engagement with classical antiquity and the Old Masters. It includes a spectacular engraving by Blake of an oil sketch by Henry Fuseli, illustrating Blake’s admiration for the dramatic and ecstatic energy of historical subjects.
Chapter II: The Present. Europe in Flames focuses on the dialectic between slavery and freedom, and includes Blake’s Europe a Prophecy, which addresses the political turmoil of the French Revolution and its aftermath. Works by contemporaries such as Garnet Terry and Henry Fuseli complement Blake’s vision of a world in crisis and transformation.
In Chapter III: The Future. Spiritual Renewal, the exhibition explores Blake’s new religious style developed during his time at Felpham, Sussex. His works from this period, including biblical subjects for his patron Thomas Butts, are characterised by ethereal light and compositional symmetry.
The exhibition is the first time Blake’s work has been shown in Germany since 1975. Supported by a number of foundations, the show aims to highlight Blake’s visionary ideas and their relevance to contemporary issues.
William Blake quietly influenced the captivating conversation between Marina Abramović and Michèle Lamy in our third issue. Why Blake? He had a unique ability to blend the real and the imaginary—a talent shared by Abramović and Lamy. Dive into their insightful dialogue and explore the artistry of these visionary artists.
