Visionary Heads

in Conversation with the astrologer John Varley'', right, by John Linnell, 1818 William Blake said he had seen visions from his young age throughout his life, and in these visions he was visited by many spirits of people from the remote past as well as by his deceased friends from whom he received his inspiration for his poetry and painting. He also believed he was personally instructed and encouraged by archangels to create his artistic works, which he said were actively read and enjoyed by the same archangels. In 1800 he wrote: “I know that our deceased friends are more really with us than when they were apparent to our mortal part. Thirteen years ago I lost a brother, and with his spirit I converse daily and hourly in the spirit, and see him in my remembrance, in the region of my imagination. I hear his advice, and even now write from his dictate.” In September 1818 the successful young painter John Linnell, one of the best friends and kindest patrons of Blake, introduced to Blake his former teacher John Varley. Varley was fascinated by Blake's accounts of his visions, thinking that they came from the spirit world of astrology. He persuaded Blake to draw the images of these visions in his presence to illustrate his Treatise on Zodiacal Physiognomy, published in 1828, after the death of Blake. In 1819–20, Blake and Varley would often meet at Varley's house, and from about 9.00 pm until 5.00 am, play a game in which Varley would suggest Blake attempt to summon the spirit of some historical or mythological person. On the appearance of the spirit, Blake would then attempt to sketch its likeness. These drawings of which many remain, are the "spiritual images" of many very well known people of the past, whom Blake said he saw in visions that he experienced during these sessions. John Varley left his account of these sessions that took place almost nightly, recording some dates and circumstances of the evenings. He made a lot of detailed inscriptions below or on the back of Blake's drawings that help to classify them. He also created two lists known as “Varley's lists of Visionary Heads” (A & B) where he specified about 90 titles (some of them repeated) of “Portraits Drawn by W. Blake from Visions which appeared to him & Remained while he completed them…” John Linnell, who also was involved in these events and copied many of Blake's Visionary Heads to engrave them later for Varley's Treatise, wrote his own account and views on this subject in his “Journal” and “Autobiography” (fully cited by Gerald Eades Bentley Jr. in his Blake Records, see in the Bibliography below). In the opinion of the Blake scholar Sir Geoffrey Keynes: Another Blake scholar, Kathleen Raine, expressed her opinion thus: ==Description==

Varley provided Blake with a number of sketchbooks of different sizes for the purpose of making the drawings, the so-called "Blake–Varley Sketchbooks" (BVS). Collectively, scholars have identified three sketchbooks in which the drawings were contained. Two have been recovered by collectors, and the third has yet to be discovered, though clear records from the period and individual pages attest to the sketchbook. Other unbound sketches have been identified as well, some of them removed from one of the sketchbooks, while others may have been loose since Blake's production of them. In addition, there are many Loose Visionary Heads made of separate sheets of paper. Some of them survived only in copies made by John Linnell. Though many other pictures were documented by Varley and Linnell, they have not been discovered and possibly are lost forever. Among these lost are the visionary heads of King Alfred, Cleopatra, St. Dunstan, Edward IV; Eleanor (Queen of Edward I), Guy Fawkes, Henry I of England, Henry II of England, Hezekiah, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Founder of the Pyramids, Richard III, David Rizzio, Richard Duke of Normandy, Robert, Duke of Normandy, King Rufus, Semiramis, William Shakespeare and Wild Thyme. The "Blake–Varley Sketchbooks": • The Small Blake–Varley Sketchbook (discovered in 1967) • The Large Blake–Varley Sketchbook (discovered in 1989) • The Folio Blake–Varley Sketchbook (not yet discovered) ==The Small Blake–Varley Sketchbook==

The sketchbook (c. 1819, Butlin #692, now broken up) that was lost to sight for almost a century was acquired in 1967 by Mr D. E. Clayton-Smith and then described and reproduced in 1969 by Martin Butlin (see Bibliography). This is an album 155 × 105 mm with the watermark 1806 that contains at least 36 pictures attributed to Blake, including: • Empress Maud • Caractacus (Butlin #719) • Falconberg • Prince Arthur • Harold II killed at the Battle of Hastings • Herod • Corinna? (in profile) • Antinous? • King John of England • Merlin • Milton's first wife • The Devil and a man in armour • Ghost of a Flea • The Man Who Built Pyramids (#752) • Voltaire in profile • Edward VI? with a spiky collar • Lais of Corinth the Courtesian • Richard Coeur de Lion • Cancer (#751) plus a few unidentified figures. ==The Large Blake–Varley Sketchbook==

The Sketchbook was sold by Christie's (London) to Mr. Allan Parker. All designs were reproduced in Christie's catalogue 21 March 1989. This is an album 254 × 203 mm with the watermark: C. BRENCHLEY 1804. The leaves were foliated 1–89? and later 22 leaves were razored out and then some of them replaced; this is why the suggested numeration is quite sophisticated. The album contains more than 60 of Blake's pictures including: • Canute Dark Hair & Eyes (Butlin #721) cut out • Solomon (#702) cut out • Cassibelane The British Chief (#716) cut out • Boadicea (#717) cut out • Merlin (cut out) [called A Welsh Bard, Job or Moses?] • Queen Eleanor of Henry II of England and mother of Richard I (#727) cut out • Owen Glendower (#743–744) cut out • King John of England (#731) cut out • Henry Percy (Hotspur) (#745) cut out • Wat Tyler by Wm Blake, from his spectre (#737) cut out • Tax gatherer killed by Wat Tyler (#742) cut out • The Empress Maud, mother of Henry II of England (#725) cut out • Wat Tyler's daughter (#741) cut out • Faulconberg the Bastard (#730) cut out • Alexander the Great • Henry V of England • The Black Prince • Robin Hood • Pharaoh who knew Joseph (son of Jacob) • Joseph's Mistress (Potiphar's wife) • Perkin Warbeck • Vortigern • Rowena • John Felton the assassinator of the Duke Buckingham • John Milton when a Boy • John Milton when Young • Charlemagne • John Milton's Youngest Daughter • John Milton's Eldest Daughter • Bertrand de Gurdon who wounded Richard Coeur de Lion with an arrow • The Captain to Richard I who Flayd Bertrand de Gurdon alive • Jack Sheppard under the Gallows • Colonel Blood who attempted to steal the Crown • The Great Earl of Warwick Brother to Edward IV • Isabella of France wife of Edward II and mother of Edward III • Robert Bruce King of Scotland • Geoffrey of Monmouth • Ossian • Cornelius Agrippa • Miss Blandy who poisoned her Father, Mother Brownrigg, Eloise, Countess of Essex who poisoned Overbury, and Pope Joan • Catherine Hayes Burnt for the Murder of her Husband • Thomas a Becket Preaching • Mary Queen of Scots • James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell • Tom Nixon the Idiot author of the Prophecies • Pisistratus • a Daughter of William Shakespeare • Xantippa wife of Socrates • Olimpia, probably mother of Alexander the Great • William Shakespeare's Wife • Richard Savage the Poet • Sir Robert Lucy, William Shakespeare's prosecutor ==The Folio Blake–Varley Sketchbook==

The folio size Blake-Varley Sketchbook has not been discovered in whole. However, three loose pages with the visionary heads of Pindar, Corinna and Lais are extant. The available images are from a 42 × 27 cm album with the watermark: W TURNER & SON. ==Loose Visionary Heads==

'' (tempera) There are more than 50 loose visionary heads including: • Satan with a plumed helmet (Butlin #693) • Satan as a fiend at Blake's grated window (#694) • Lot (#695) • The Egyptian Task master who was killed & Buried by Moses and Saul King of Israel under the influence of the Evil Spirit (#696) • Saul (#697) • David (#698) • Uriah and Bathsheba (#699) • Solomon (#700) • Job (#703) • Nebuchadnezzar Coin as Seen in a Vision by Mr. Blake (#704) • Joseph and Mary & the room They were seen in (#705) • Head of Achilles (#707) • Lais and a foot and ankle (#712) • Socrates (#713 & #714) • A young faun (#715) • Boadicea? (#718) • Caractacus, counterproof (#719) • Muhammad (#720) • Canute, counterproof (#723) • Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Henry II of England and mother of Richard I (#726) • The Assassin lying dead at the feet of Ed. I & Saladin. (#728) • Richard Coeur de Lion (#729) • William Wallace and Edward I (#734) • King Edward I (#735) • King Edward III (#735, 736) • Gray the Poet and Friar Bacon (#746) • Henry VIII of England? as a youth (#747) • Old Tom Parr when Young (#748) • The spirit of Voltaire by Blake (#749) • The Ghost of a Flea, tempera (#750) • The Man who built the Pyramids drawn by Willam Blake, Oct. 18, 1819. (#752) • The Man Who Taught Blake Painting in his Dreams (#753) • Imagination of A man who Mr Blake has recd instruct[ion] in Painting &c from, counterproof (#754) • The Portrait of a Man who instructed Mr Blake in Painting &c, in his Dreams and Imagination of A man who Mr Blake has recd instruct[ion] in Painting &c from, replica (?by Linnell) (#755) • Visionary Head (#759) • Five Visionary Heads (Heads of Women) 270x324mm (#765) etc. ==Some other Visionary Heads (in the order of Martin Butlin Catalogue)==

File:William Blake - A Head of a Young Woman, Butlin 686 recto c 1820 183x188mm – McGill University Library, Montreal.jpg|A Head of a Young Woman, Butlin #686 recto c 1820 183x188mm – McGill University Library, Montreal File:William Blake - Satan, Butlin 693 c 1819-20 232x311mm - Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts.jpg|Satan, Butlin #693 c 1819-20 232x311mm - Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts File:William Blake – The Egyptian Taskmaster & Saul, Butlin 696 1819-20 120x90mm – Private collection, Yorkshire.jpg|The Egyptian Taskmaster & Saul, Butlin #696 1819-20 120x90mm – Private collection, Yorkshire File:William Blake - David, Butlin 698 c 1819-20 254x180mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|David, Butlin #698 c 1819-20 254x180mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - Solomon, Butlin 701 c 1819-20 255x211mm – Edwin Wolf 2nd, Philadelphia.jpg|Solomon, Butlin #701 c 1819-20 255x211mm – Edwin Wolf 2nd, Philadelphia File:William Blake - Solomon, counterproof Butlin,702 c 1819-20 255x211mm - Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California.jpg|Solomon, counterproof, Butlin #702 c 1819-20 255x211mm - Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California.jpg File:William Blake - Nebuchadnezzar Coin, Butlin 704 (tracing by Linnell) 45x50mm G Ingli James Cardiff.jpg|Nebuchadnezzar Coin, Butlin #704 (tracing by Linnell) 45x50mm G Ingli James Cardiff File:William Blake - A Female Head, Butlin 709, c 1819-20, 240x385mm – Untraced since 1949.jpg|William Blake - A Female Head, Butlin #709, c 1819–20, 240x385mm – Untraced since 1949 File:William Blake - Pindar and Lais the Courtesan,Butlin 711, c 1820, 267x419mm - Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston. Lancashire.jpg|Pindar and Lais the Courtesan, Butlin #711, c 1820, 267x419mm - Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston. Lancashire File:William Blake - Lais of Corinth, Butlin 712 recto c 1820, 150x140mm - Private Collection, Great Britain.jpg|Lais of Corinth, Butlin #712 recto c 1820, 150x140mm - Private Collection, Great Britain File:William Blake - Socrates, Butlin 713 c 1819-20 313x201mm - Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California.jpg|File:William Blake - Socrates, Butlin #713 c 1819-20 313x201mm - Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California File:William Blake –Classic Head of a Young Faun, 715 c 1819-20, 227x189mm – Private Collection, Great Britain.jpg|Classic Head of a Young Faun, 715 c 1819–20, 227x189mm – Private Collection, Great Britain File:William Blake - Cassibelane, Butlin 716 c 1819-20 233x176mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|Cassibelane, Butlin #716 c 1819-20 233x176mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - Boadicea, Butlin 717 c 1819-20 205x160mm - Joseph Holland - Los Angeles, California.jpg|Boadicea, Butlin #717 c 1819-20 205x160mm - Joseph Holland - Los Angeles, California File:William Blake - Mahomet, Butlin 720 c 1819 311x107mm - Santa Barbara Museum of Art.jpg|Mahomet, Butlin #720 c 1819 311x107mm - Santa Barbara File:William Blake - Canute, Butlin 721 c 1819-20 258x203mm -National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.jpg|Canute, Butlin #721 c 1819-20 258x203mm -National Gallery of Art, Washington DC File:William Blake – An Anglo-Norman King, Butlin 724 c 1819-20 281x213mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|An Anglo-Norman King, Butlin #724 c 1819-20 281x213mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - Empress Maud, Butlin 725 c 1819-20 250x182mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|Empress Maud, Butlin #725 c 1819-20 250x182mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - Richard Coer de Lion, Butlin 729 c 1819 178x163mm - Joseph Holland - Los Angeles, California.jpg|Richard Coer de Lion, Butlin #729 c 1819 178x163mm - Joseph Holland - Los Angeles, California File:William Blake - Faulconberg the Bastard, Butlin 730 c 1819-20 249x183mm - Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California.jpg|Faulconberg the Bastard, Butlin #730 c 1819-20 249x183mm - Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California File:William Blake - King John, Butlin 731 c 1819-20 248x170mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|King John, Butlin #731 c 1819-20 248x170mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - King John - Counterproof - Butlin 732 240x190mm Private - Stamford, Connecticut.jpg|King John - Counterproof - Butlin #732 240x190mm Private - Stamford, Connecticut File:William Blake –Edward III, 736 c 1819-20, 180x140mm – Private Collection, New York.jpg|Edward III, 736 c 1819–20, 180x140mm – Private Collection, New York File:William Blake - Wat Tyler, Butlin 737, c1819, 242x103mm - Edwin Wolf 2nd, Philadelphia.jpg|Wat Tyler, Butlin #737, c1819, 242x103mm - Edwin Wolf 2nd, Philadelphia File:William Blake – Wat Tyler’s Daughter, Butlin 741 c 1819-20 253x188mm – National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.jpg|''Wat Tyler's Daughter'', Butlin #741 c 1819-20 253x188mm – National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC File:William Blake - Hotspur, Butlin 745 c 1819-20 322x178mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|Hotspur, Butlin #745 c 1819-20 322x178mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg File:William Blake – Weish Bard, Job or Moses, Butlin 757 c 1819-20 246x188mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|Weish Bard, Job or Moses, Butlin #757 c 1819-20 246x188mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - The Lute Player, Butlin 760 recto, c1819-20, 195x120mm - Untraced since 1959.jpg|The Lute Player, Butlin #760 recto, c1819-20, 195x120mm - Untraced since 1959 File:William Blake - 9 Grotesque or Demoniac Heads, Butlin 767 recto c 1819-20 183x188mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|9 Grotesque or Demoniac Heads, Butlin #767 recto c 1819-20 183x188mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - A Head, Butlin 767 verso c 1819-20 183x188mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California.jpg|A Head, Butlin #767 verso c 1819-20 183x188mm - F Bailey Vanderhoef Jr - Ojai California File:William Blake - A Seated Nude Woman by a Window, Butlin 768 recto, c1820-25, 181x227mm - British Museum.jpg|A Seated Nude Woman by a Window, Butlin #768 recto, c1820-25, 181x227mm - British Museum ==See also==

• Visionary Heads, five pieces for piano after pictures by William Blake Op. 172 (2013) written by Russian/British composer Dmitri N. Smirnov → YouTube