Page:Bryan's dictionary of painters and engravers, volume 1.djvu/220

 ing is drawing on copper, and nothing else ; and he who draws best must be the best artist." It need hardly be said that the paintings which survive fail to support both the pretensions and the theories of their author. But it is not as a painter that fame is claimed for Blake, and there remains a body of drawings and engravings more than sufficient to accredit him as an artist who, despite his prejudices and extravagances, must come to be ranked among the greatest of Englishmen. " In expressing conditions of glaring and flickering light," says Ruskin, "Blake is greater than Rembrandt," and this is only one of many particular eulogies from writers to whom Blake's work in general made no strong appeal. Upon artists no less reputable than Dante Gabriel Rossetti his influence, though obscure in operation, was considerable, and upon certain younger groups it is inestimable. The sensational character of some of his productions (such as the 'Visionary Heads' and the too famous 'Ghost of a Flea'), and the popular anecdotage which invariably gathers round a strong and unconventional personality, have too long gone on strengthening the habit of excluding his achievement from ordinary consideration, and although his own obstinate self-detachment from contemporary artistic movements and his contempt for court and academical honours were certainly the first causes of the neglect into which befell, the time has come to regard them as forces which worked to distinguish him from more modish practitioners of design and to feel pride in his indisputably original and fine performance. Blake's fruitful old age, which without the friendship of Linnell must have been years of monetary anxiety and artistic barrenness, ended on the 12th of August, 1827. He died " singing of the things he saw in heaven," and was buried in Bunhill Fields' Cemetery in a common grave, now untraceable. The best and fullest account of him is that by Gilchrist (2nd edition, 2 vols., London, 1880) ; the second volume contains an extended list of his works and many reproductions. The curious 'Father's Memoir of his Child,' by B. H. Malkin (London, 1806), is valuable for the particulars of Blake's life and aims contained in the preface. Mr. Swinburne's 'Blake' (London, 1866); Mr. W. M. Rossetti's long memoir and note prefixed to the Aldine edition of Blake's poems (London, 1890) ; and Messrs. Ellis and Yeats' three large volumes (London, 1893), contain much biographical and critical material, the last-named work including facsimiles of the ' Prophetical Books,' and an alleged key to their interpretation.

Among devotees of Blake on his occult side a hope is still indulged that more of these "Prophetical Books " may come to light. It is known that Blake left a hundred volumes ready for publication, and that Tatham, an "angel" of the Irvingite church, to whom Mrs. Blake made over the manuscripts, spent two days in burning his heretical legacy. The search for survivors of the bonfire is not quite hopeless ; but meanwhile Blake's cause is far better served by the frequent re-publication of his saner works. Among jecent examples of these may be noted the reproductions of some of the Dante drawings in the now defunct 'Savoy' mngazine (London, 1896); the illustra- tions in Dr. Richard Gamett's 'William Blake: Painter and Poet' (London, 1897); two volumes containing respectively all Blake's woodcuts and the whole of the ' Job ' engravings (London, 1902), and numerous facsimile copies of characteristic pages in ' Songs of Innocence ' and ' Songs of Experience.'

A remarkable sale of choice original productions by Blake, the property of the Earl of Crewe, took place in March 1903, when very high prices were obtained for many of the rarities then first offered. Amongst the items were the twenty- one original illustrations for the Book of Job, the unpublished drawings for 'L'Allegro' and 'II Penseroso,' and the original coloured issues of 'America,' 'Jerusalem,' 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,' 'The Song of Los,' and the 'Songs of Innocence,' as well as all the rarest of the books. E. J. 0.

BLANC, Horace le. See Le Blanc.

BLANC, Lddwig Ammy, a painter of portraits and mediasval genre, was born at Berlin, August 9, 1810. In 1829 he entered the Berlin Academy schools, and in 1834 removed to Diisseldorf, where he studied under Julius Hiibner. From 1840 to 1842 he worked at Hanover, painting portraits of members of the reigning family, and other persons of note, and in 1845-7 he was similarly employed at Darmstadt. In 1857 he visited France and England. He died in April 1885. There is a picture by him in the Berlin National Gallery.

BLANCHARD, Auguste Jean Baptiste Marie, a French line-engraver, was born in Paris in 1792, and died there in 1849. He was the pupil of his father, Auguste Blanchard, and engraved, among other works :

Madonna and Child with St. John ; after Baiont. (Aguado Gallery.) The Oath of the Horatii ; after Valid. Daphuis and Chloe ; after A Wrier. The Eutry of Henry IV. into Paris ; after Gerard. Elizabeth of Bourbon, Queen of Spain ; after Rubens. Josephine, Empress of the French ; after Prud'hon.

BLANCHARD, Edouard Th^ophile, a French subject and portrait painter, was born in Paris in 1844. He studied under Picot and Cabanel, and obtained the Prix de Rome in 1858. ^yith his friend Regnault he became a volunteer in 1870, and fought against the Germans. His works were awarded medals in 1872 and 1874. He died in 1879. The following are amongst his works :

A Courtesan. 1872. Hylas and the Nymphs. 1874. Herodias. 1874. Cort^.giana. 1875. The Buffoon. 1878.

BLANCHARD, Gabriel, known as ' Blanchard LE NEVEU,' the only son of Jacques Blancliard, was born in Paris in 1630, and studied under his uncle, Jean Baptiste Blanchard. He was, in 1663, elected Academician on the merits of an allegorical painting of the 'Birth of Louis XIV.,' now at Versailles ; but his most successful work was a picture of _' St. Andrew,' which he painted for the Goldsmiths' Guild. He became keeper of the royal collection, and successively assistant-professor, professor, and, in 1699, treasurer of the Academy. He died in 1704. Two of his sons, Nicolas and Philifpb Thomas, were likewise painters.

BLANCHARD, Henri Pierre LioN Phara-MOND, an historical and landscape painter, was born at La Guillotiere, a suburb of Lyons, in 1805. He studied under Baron Qros, travelled in many distant countries, and went with the French expedition to Mexico in the years 1858 and 1859. In 1856 he was in Russia, and was present at the coronation