William Blake: The Poet Who Painted the Demiurge
You’ve probably seen the picture even if you’ve never heard its name. An old man with a white beard crouches inside a blazing disc, and his hair and beard stream sideways as if a wind is blowing through heaven. He reaches one arm down into the dark and holds a huge pair of compasses, measuring out the world. It’s usually called The Ancient of Days, though Blake didn’t give it that title. He made it in 1794 as the frontispiece to his book Europe a Prophecy, and it has ended up on posters and album covers and probably a few tattoos. Most people take it for a reverent picture of God the Creator. ...