This week in class we looked at Blake’s poems and artwork. I was personally drawn to them more than Goya’s, for while I appreciated Goya’s grotesque work and the social commentary in his captions, I enjoyed the interplay between Blake’s poems and his images. I enjoy the process of looking for the connection between the word and the image, which is often rather cleverly hidden, as with the rose poem we looked at in class. They might not be the most high quality illustrations, compared to Goya’s work, but the level of thought and effort that went into their composition is readily evident.
It is in that process of looking for the connection between the word and the image that helps the viewer think about concepts and ideas that might not be easily expressed in word or image alone. Together, the artist is able to put both forms of art into a new light and direct the viewers thinking beyond what is evident at first glance.
