Behemoth and Leviathan

в 65 лет (1822 – 1823)

Illustrations to the “Book of Job”

Aged 65, Blake began work on illustrations for the Book of Job; he completed the engravings just before his death.

1826

A commission for engravings to Dante's “Divine Comedy”

In 1826, through Linnell, Blake received a commission for a series of engravings for Dante's “Divine Comedy”; his death in 1827 cut the enterprise short, with only a handful of watercolours completed and seven engravings in proof. Even near death he worked feverishly on the illustrations to the “Inferno”, and is said to have spent one of his last shillings on a pencil.

к моменту смерти (1827)

Fewer than thirty copies of the “Songs” sold

At the time of his death Blake had sold fewer than 30 copies of “Songs of Innocence and of Experience”: he was largely unrecognised during his life.

12 August 1827

His last day: a portrait of Catherine and hymns

On 12 August 1827 Blake worked relentlessly on his Dante series until the end; then, it is reported, he asked his weeping wife to stay as she was and drew her portrait (“you have ever been an angel to me”; the portrait is lost), began to sing hymns and verses, and at six that evening, after promising her that he would be with her always, died.

12 August 1827

Died