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How long did William Blake apprentice with engraver James Basire?
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William Blake
William Blake, oil on canvas by Thomas Phillips, 1807; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
William Blake served a seven-year apprenticeship with the engraver James Basire, lasting from 1772 to 1779. During this period, he lived with Basire’s family in London and gained comprehensive training in the technical aspects of engraving, including preparing copperplates and using the graver.1