Robert Cromek

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Robert Hartley Cromek (1770-1812) was an engraver, art dealer and entrepreneur who was most active in the early nineteenth century. He is best known for having allegedly cheated William Blake out of the potential profits of his engraving depicting Chaucer's Canterbury Pilgrims. Cromek had supported Blake, and had commissioned him to illustrate Robert Blair's poem The Grave. Blake had produced the designs, but his sample engraving was considered by Cromek to be too crude to attract subscribers, Cromek then gave the lucrative job of engraving Blake's designs to a rival engraver Luigi Schiavonetti.

In response, Blake proceeded to create a self-engraved illustration to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Cromek, however, had also given the idea to Blake's friend Thomas Stothard. Stothard's print became far more popular than Blake's, at least during their lifetimes. It remains unclear whether Blake or Cromek originated this project, but Blake certainly believed that the idea was stolen from him. The incident destroyed the friendship between Blake and Stothard.^[1]

As a savagely humorous comment on these events Blake wrote an epigram attacking Cromek:

A petty sneaking knave I knew,
"Ah Mr Cromek! How do you do?"