The Energy Man: Blake, Nietzscheanism and Cultural Criticism in Britain, 1890–1920

Abstract

This article examines how, why and for what reasons Blake was coupled with Nietzsche. It asks what writers thought was gained by this critical union and what it indicates about the nature of British art criticism either side of 1900. It addresses larger questions of reputational life, recovery criticism and canon-formation, and offers a vision of how a ‘modern’ Blake came into being.