- Title:
- The Beginning of Poesy. The Blind Begging Bard (Design 41)
- Additional Title(s):
Verso: Study (Design 42)
The Progress of Poesy- Part Of:
- Date:
- between 1797 and 1798
- Materials & Techniques:
- Watercolor with pen and black ink and graphite on moderately thick, slightly textured, cream wove paper with inlaid letterpress page
- Dimensions:
- Sheet: 16 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches (41.9 x 32.4 cm)
- Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:
Inscribed in black ink upper right: "1"; on verso in black ink upper left: "2"; in black ink center: "The Progress of Poesy | 1. The Beginning of Poesy. The blind | begging Bard | 2. Study | 3. 'The Laughing flowers that round them blow' | Drink life & fragrance as they flow | 4. 'Perching on the Scepterd hand | Of Jove, thy magic lulls the featherd king | 5. 'Cythereas Day.' | 6. 'Hyperions march they spy & glittering shafts of war' | 7. 'Shaggy forms oer Ice built mountains roam' | 8. 'Alike they scorn the pomp of Tyrant power | And coward Vice that revels in her chains | 9. 'To him the mighty Mother did unveil | Her awful Face' | 10. 'Dryden. | 'Bright Eyd Fancy hovering oe'r' | 11. Oft before his Infant eyes would run | Such forms as glitter in the Muses ray | 12. A Muse."
- Credit Line:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Copyright Status:
- Public Domain
- Accession Number:
- B1992.8.11(21)
- Classification:
- Drawings & Watercolors
- Collection:
- Prints and Drawings
- Subject Terms:
- angel | baby | beard | boy | boys | chair | children | grass | harp | hat | infant | light | literary theme | lyre | man | men | mother | reading | religious and mythological subject | stained glass | text | window | women
- Access:
- Accessible by appointment in the Study Room [Request]
Note: The Study Room is open by appointment. Please visit the Study Room page on our website for more details. - Link:
- https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:3630
- Export:
- XML
- IIIF Manifest:
- JSON
Colin Cross, Blake revealed, William Blake : Discovery of a Masterwork , Observer, vol. 12, November 21, 1971, pp. 19-23, V 1245 Detached from Observer colour magazine [ORBIS]
Arnold Fawcus, Unknown Watercolours by William Blake, Illustrated London News, vol. 259, No. 6881, December 25, 1971, pp. 45-46, 49-51, Illustrated London News Historical Archive [ORBIS]