William BlakeBritish, 1757–1827Beggar's Opera, Act III
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Beggar's Opera, Act III” now? Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Washington, D.C., United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1947.7.2
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- National Gallery of Art
- Image: National Gallery of Art — Museum open access
In the life of William Blake
The whole life1780–1808
Exhibits six times at the Royal Academy
Despite his antagonism towards Reynolds, Blake submitted works to the Royal Academy on six occasions between 1780 and 1808.
1785–1791 · Residence
Poland Street
1788
Invents relief etching
In 1788, aged 31, Blake invented relief etching, or “illuminated printing”: text and designs are drawn on a copper plate in acid-resistant ink and etched so that the protected areas stand in relief, and the printed pages are coloured by hand in watercolours. He used it for most of his well-known works, including “Songs of Innocence and of Experience”, “The Book of Thel”, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” and “Jerusalem”.
1791 · Residence
Hercules Buildings
1791
Illustrates Mary Wollstonecraft's “Original Stories from Real Life”
Blake illustrated Mary Wollstonecraft's “Original Stories from Real Life” (2nd edition, 1791). They seem to have shared some views on sexual equality and the institution of marriage, but no evidence is known that they ever met.
![Ginevra de' Benci [obverse], Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1474/1478](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/8f29e3c9-a289-4d53-abf0-31a66e9e98fa/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
![Wreath of Laurel, Palm, and Juniper with a Scroll inscribed Virtutem Forma Decorat [reverse], Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1474/1478](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/ff62e8d0-45c4-498f-ad36-6358de827e04/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
