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William Blake

4 of 10 portraits of William Blake

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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William Blake

after James Deville
bronze head, 1953, based on a work of 1823
11 1/2 in. (292 mm) high
Purchased, 1953
Primary Collection
NPG 1809a

Sitterback to top

  • William Blake (1757-1827), Visionary poet and painter. Sitter in 10 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 5 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • James Deville (1776-1846), Sculptor. Artist or producer associated with 5 portraits.

This portraitback to top

James Deville was a sculptor, a publisher of marked-up phrenological busts and the owner of a museum of phrenological casts. He made this plaster life-mask of the artist Wiliam Blake to be 'representative of the imaginative faculty'. As was often the case with life masks, cast directly from the subject's face, it was a disappointing likeness. One of Blake's friends noted that the unnatural severity of the mouth was caused by the discomfort of the process 'as the plaster pulled out a quantity of hair'.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG 1809: William Blake (original plaster)

Linked publicationsback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1823back to top

Current affairs

Gaols Act is passed to build new prisons, raise standards in old ones and institute regular inspections. It is prompted by the vigorous campaigning of reformers such as Elizabeth Fry, leader of the Ladies Association for the Improvement of Female Prisoners in Newgate Prison.
Anti-Slavery Committee is founded in London.

Art and science

Architect, Robert Smirke begins construction of the British Museum.
Thomas Wakley founds The Lancet, the first weekly medical journal and important mouthpiece of medical reform.
Charles Babbage begins work on the first calculating machine.
Charles Macintosh invents waterproof fabric.

International

Catholic Association is founded by Daniel O'Connell in Ireland in an attempt to mobilise and politicise the entire Irish Catholic population in a systematic challenge to the ruling Protestant ascendancy.
War breaks out between France and Spain.
English missionary John Smith died in prison having been sentenced to be hanged for failing to take up arms against slaves in Demerara.

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