The Ghost of a Flea by William Blake (Interpretation and Analysis)
The Ghost of a Flea Source: Wikimedia Commons Most people know William Blake as a poet. He’s particularly famous for his “Tyger Tyger, burning bright” poem, which I particularly enjoy. However, what most people do not know is that Blake was also a prolific artist with a distinctive and unique style. Blake’s illustrations for Dante’s Divine Comedy are perhaps his best-known works of art; however his painting The Ghost of a Flea is probably one of his most bizarre and unique works. The painting is part of a series of sketches that Blake created for astrologist and spiritualist John Varley. Blake had visions throughout his life, which fascinated Varley. Thus, he asked Blake to create a series of images based on his visionary experiences. The flea was one such apparition. Traditionally (and for good reason) fleas are associated with dirtiness, greed, and other undesirable attributes. According to my research , when the flea appeared to Blake, he understood it to be "...inhabited by ...