There was standing room only this week when Professor Colin Trodd from the University of Manchester addressed the History of Art Society on the subject of William Blake.
Professor Trodd, one of the country’s leading authorities on British art of the 1700s and 1800s, charted the reception history of Blake’s work since his death in 1827. Noting his extraordinary appeal among conservatives and radicals alike, he positioned Blake in an international context as the hero of figures as diverse as Rossetti, Swinburne, Picasso, Sartre, Camus, and Matisse. His importance to the Counter-Culture of the 1960s was also highlighted, not least his influence upon Allen Ginsberg, The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Marlborough’s own Nick Drake. It was a colourful introduction to one of England’s most enigmatic artists, and an object lesson in the interconnectivity between cultural disciplines.
Simon McKeown
Head of History of Art
