Spotlight

William Blake

Poor old Tate Britain has had a rather hard time of it these past six months: its thematic re-hang was widely panned and its summer exhibitions over-shadowed by the opening of its enormous younger brother down river. This week, though, things are looking up with the annual exhibition of Turner Prize hopefuls, claiming back some of the audience from Bankside, and the opening of its big winter show: a fresh look at mad Mr Blake.

Poor old Tate Britain has had a rather hard time of it these past six months: its thematic re-hang was widely panned and its summer exhibitions over-shadowed by the opening of its enormous younger brother down river. This week, though, things are looking up with the annual exhibition of Turner Prize hopefuls, claiming back some of the audience from Bankside, and the opening of its big winter show: a fresh look at mad Mr Blake.

William Blake is one of those rare artists whose work transcends its own time to bring something surprising, not to say odd, to every new audience. He was a poet, an artist and a visionary, and has long been a cult figure among other artists, writers and - these days - pop stars, several of whom have been queuing up to sing his praises. There's a peculiarly English strangeness to his work, delivered with a mix of intensity and gentleness that is quite transfixing, if sometimes a little incoherent. At the centre of this exhibition, the first of substance devoted to his work in 20 years, is a complete range of his major illustrated books, which alone would be worth the trip to Millbank. Don't miss it.

Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1 (020-7887 8008) to 11 Feb