A visionary of eighteen-century English art, William Blake was largely unknown during his own lifetime and often rejected as a madman for claims of hearing voices and later having visions. Since his death, Blake has, achieved enduring fame for his innovative and extraordinary work and is widely, viewed as one of the most important of all English artists. Created between 1790 and 1793, "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" is, considered by many to be one of his most original and inspired books. Written largely in criticism of Emanuel Swedenborg's 1758 work "Heaven and Hell", which argued in favor of a strict moral structure and a clear distinction between good and evil, Blake instead viewed the world as unified where both the heaven of the physical world and the hell of desire and passion were all part of the same divine plan. Written in the form of imaginary Biblical prophecies, Blake created a world where contradictory impulses and emotions are all necessary parts of existence and where each person must embrace these paradoxical characteristics of human nature in order to progress in life. The result of Blake's vision is a dynamic and thought-provoking masterpiece from one of history's most eccentric and brilliant artists. This edition reproduces one of the first set of plates in full color along with a complete transcription of the poem.
