Watercolor Illustration to Milton's Paradise Lost by William Blake Work Information

Title: Illustrations to Milton's “Paradise Lost”, The Linnell Set Origination: William Blake: author, inventor, delineator, colorist Composition Date: 1822 Note: The date of composition is established by stylistic considerations and by a reference in John Linnell's journal that Blake “began copies from his Drawings from Milton's P.L.” on 9 May 1822. The drawings Blake began to copy were probably those comprising the Butts set of Paradise Lost illustrations. Number of Objects: 3 Object Order: 1-3 Object Size: each approximately 51.0 x 38.0 cm. Number of Leaves: 3 Leaf Size: approximately 52.0 x 39.5 cm. Medium: pen and water color Support: wove paper Watermark: none recorded Penned Numbers: none Frame Lines: Objects 1 and 2 have single framing lines around all four sides of the designs. The framing lines in object 3 may have been trimmed away, except where still visible along the top and bottom margins. Provenance

Name: National Gallery of Victoria (objects 1-2), Fitzwilliam Museum (object 3) Date: Objects 1-2 acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria in 1920; object 3 acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1950. Dealer: See the note on provenance, below. Price: See the note on provenance, below. Note: Acquired directly from Blake, and probably commissioned, by John Linnell, c. 1822; sold from Linnell's collection, Christie's, 15 March 1918, lots 152 (object 2, £441 to the dealer Martin), 153 (object 1, £346.10s. to the dealer Martin), and 154 (object 3, £399 to Carfax & Co. acting for T. H. Riches). Objects 1 and 2 were acquired by Martin on behalf of the Felton Bequest for presentation to the National Gallery of Victoria in 1920. Object 3 was bequeathed by Riches to the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1935, with a life-interest to his widow; the work was received by the Fitzwilliam in 1950. Present Location

National Gallery of Victoria PO Box 7259 Melbourne, Victoria 8004 Australia Telephone: 3-8620-2222 Fax: 3-8620-2555 email: enquiries@ngv.vic.gov.au URL: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ Department: Prints and Drawings Accession Number: 1025/3 (object 1) and 1024/3 (object 2)

Fitzwilliam Museum Trumpington Street Cambridge CB2 1RB