DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/2YFR-6N24
Defense Date
1991
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Art History
First Advisor
Sharon Hill
Abstract
The intention of this thesis is to investigate correspondences which exist between the Kabbalah and the recondite world of William Blake's imagery. Particular attention will be paid to the symbiotic relationship or word and image and the dialectical approach to salvation which is common to both Blake and the Kabbalah. The attempt will be made to locate correlations between depictions or several or Blake's characters and components or the kabbalistic Tree of Life. In doing so, this writer hopes to show that Blake's familiarity with the Kabbalah was instrumental in enabling him to give form to the visionary experience upon which his mythological system was based. Certainly, a full understanding of Blake's symbolism must acknowledge not only his indebtedness to the Kabbalah, but also the significant role that esoteric tradition as a whole played in the development or eighteenth-century English thought.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
8-30-2016