"With dreams upon my bed thou scarest me," 1825

Editor: This is William Blake's engraving, "With dreams upon my bed thou scarest me," from 1825. The stark lines and intense imagery feel incredibly raw. What strikes you most about Blake's technique here? Curator: The focus for me is on the labor involved in Blake's process. Etching requires physical and chemical work. Note how Blake combines text and image, disrupting the hierarchy of art and craft. This challenges traditional notions of artistic genius. Editor: So, it's not just about the symbolic meaning, but also about how the work was physically produced and circulated? Curator: Precisely. Consider also Blake's social context, his radical politics, and how these might be embedded in the materiality of the print itself. It's a rejection of easy consumption. Editor: I hadn't thought about the connection between his politics and the physical act of creation. Thanks!