Early Life and Influences Sir William Blake Richmond (1842–1921) was born at 10 York Street, London, England on November 29, 1842. His formative years were deeply shaped by his association with the ancients—a movement of artists and poets captivated by the visionary ideas of William Blake. This profound influence is palpable in Richmond’s early canvases, notably “Abel the Shepherd” and “Christ and the Woman of Samaria,” which debuted at the Royal Academy in 1825. These works immediately established him as a protégé of Blake's aesthetic principles—a preoccupation with symbolism, mythology, and…