Why was William Blake largely ignored or ridiculed during his lifetime?

William Blake was largely ignored or ridiculed during his lifetime because his work and unconventional personality clashed with the artistic and social norms of his era. His visionary approach to art and poetry, which he often described as being guided by spiritual revelations, was frequently dismissed by contemporaries who viewed him as an "unfortunate lunatic" rather than a serious artist.123

His reputation suffered significantly following a scathing 1809–10 exhibition of his work. A review in The Examiner by Robert Hunt labeled his paintings "wretched" and his Descriptive Catalogue a "farrago of nonsense," which damaged his career and contributed to his withdrawal into obscurity and poverty. Furthermore, Blake’s religious views were highly unorthodox; he rejected institutionalized religion and "State Religion," which alienated him from the religious and social establishment of the time. Because he did not conform to fashionable artistic styles—openly criticizing techniques like chiaroscuro—and struggled to communicate his complex, visionary intent to the public, his genius remained largely unrecognized until decades after his death.1234