William Blake to the Queen 1807 British Museum

William Blake to the Queen 1807 British Museum

 Object types: drawing (scope note | all objects)

Materials: paper (all objects) Techniques: drawn (scope note | all objects) Production person: Drawn by William Blake (biographical details | all objects) Date: 1807 Schools /Styles: British (all objects)

Description: Design for the Dedication to Blair's 'Grave'; a female figure holding a key in each hand floating above another laid out below, and approaching an arched door with branches growing over at r. 1807 Pen and grey ink, with watercolour, over graphite Inscriptions: Inscription Content: Inscribed by Blake: "To the Queen" and traces of his dedicatory verses beginning: "The D[oor of Death is made of gold...]" Dimensions: Height: 302 millimetres Width: 238 millimetres Curator's comments: This design of the book's dedication to the Queen was not used by the publisher, although he did print the dedicatory verses. See the facsimile publication, 'William Blake's Watercolour Inventions in illustration of "The Grave" by Robert Blair', ed. Martin Butlin, and including essays by him and by Morton D. Paley (The William Blake Trust, 2009). For further information about this series of watercolours for Blair's 'Grave', see this book and the curatorial comment for one of the designs for the title page, 1856,0712.208.

Associated titles: Associated Title The Grave Associated names: Illustration of Robert Blair

Acquisition date: 1894

Acquisition name: Purchased from Herbert Harlakenden Gilchrist Previous owner/ex-collection Anne Gilchrist

Exhibition History 1880 Boston, MFA, William Blake, no.122 1892 Philadelphia, Acad FA, English Pre-Raphaelites/William Blake, no.194 1957 BM, William Blake and his circle, no.4(4) 1975 Mar-Jul, Hamburg, Kunsthalle, William Blake, no.143 1975 Frankfurt, Städelsches Kunstinstitut, William Blake, no143 1978 Jun-Jul, Manchester, Whitworth Art Gallery, Blake, no. 158 2002/3 Oct-Jan, Valencia, IVAM Centre Julio Gonzalez, De Forma Cerrada 2007 April-May, Hull, Ferens AG (Sth Bank Tour), Blake 2007/8 Nov-Jan, Glasgow, Burrell Coll (Sth Bank Tour), Blake 2008 Jan-April, Manchester, Whitworth AG (Sth Bank Tour), Blake