Perceiving More than Perception

Given that, by c. 1766, Blake had experienced ‘his first vision’ of ‘bright angelic wings bespangling … like stars,’ and, by c. 1809, in middle age, he was writing confidently that his paintings were based on ‘Stupendous Visions,’ affirming that ‘I have represented it as I saw it,’ it is not surprising that, at some stage, he would have needed to formulate explanations (if only for himself) of the phenomena he was encountering and how they impacted on his creative practice (E 554–5). In short, he needed to arrive at a working theory of perception congruent with his lived experience of ‘visions’ and, of equal urgency, he needed to incorporate it into his art if he was to express their power and impact.