Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
These days, you often hear people called "visionaries," but Blake was the real deal. Call them hallucinations or whatever you will, but he saw angels and heavenly hosts walking around from childhood onward. (Source)
Blake had a hugely rebellious streak. Though religious, he was no conservative. For a time, he was an enthusiastic follower of the writings of the mystic Emanuel Swedenborg, who also had visions and who harshly attacked existing religious institutions. (Source)
In 2006, twelve watercolors by Blake sold for $7.1 million dollars, but even this amount was regarded as below their true worth. Blake scholars were very disappointed to see the watercolors sold off piece by piece to private buyers. (Source)
Several other major figures in British Romanticism were convinced that Blake was genuinely insane. (Source)