What was displayed at William Blake’s 1809–10 exhibition in London?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

William Blake’s 1809–10 exhibition, held at his family’s home and hosiery shop on Broad Street, featured a collection of 16 watercolours and temperas.1

The most ambitious work displayed was The Ancient Britons, a massive painting depicting the final battle of the legendary King Arthur. Measuring 14 feet wide by 10 feet tall, it was the largest picture Blake ever created.1

Other notable works included in the exhibition catalogue were:
* The Spiritual Form of Nelson Guiding Leviathan (c. 1805–09)1
* The Spiritual Form of Pitt Guiding Behemoth (1805?)1
* Sir Jeffrey Chaucer and the Nine and Twenty Pilgrims on Their Journey to Canterbury (1808)1

In his Descriptive Catalogue of Pictures (1809), which accompanied the exhibition, Blake claimed these works were copies of lost "stupendous originals" he had seen in visions of ancient civilizations. Despite his efforts to reach a wider public, the exhibition was poorly attended and received a harsh, destructive review from Robert Hunt, which contributed to Blake’s subsequent withdrawal into obscurity.1