See NOTES on the transcription

Letter 7

Addressed to:
M^r Butts
G^r Marlborough Street

Felpham Nov. 22 : 1802
Dear Sir

My brother tells me that he fears you are offended
with me. I fear so too because there appears some reason why you
might be so. But when you have heard me out you will not be so

I have now given two years to the intense study of those
parts of the art that relate to light & shade & colour & am Convincd
that either my understanding is incapable of comprehending the
beauties of Colouring or the Pictures which I painted for You Are
Equal in Every part of the Art & and superior in One to anything that
has been done since the age of Raphael. All S^r J Reynolds's discourses
to the Royal Academy will shew. that the Venetian finesse in Art can never be united
with the Majesty of Colouring necessary to Historical beauty. & in a
letter to the Rev^d M^r Gilpin author of a work on Picturesque Scenery
he says Thus "It may be worth consideration whether the epithet Pic-"
"turesque is not applicable to the excellencies of the inferior Schools"
"rather than to the higher. The works of Michael Angelo Rafael &c"
"appear to me to have nothing of it: whereas Rubens & the Venetian"
"Painters may almost be said to have Nothing Else. - Perhaps Pic-"
"-turesque is somewhat synonymous to the word Taste which we should"
"think improperly applied to Homer or Milton but very well to Prior"
"or Pope. I suspect that the applications of these words are to Excellencies"
"of an inferior order & which are incompatible with the Grand Style"
"You are certainly right in saying that Variety of Tints and Forms is"
"Picturesque: but it must be rememberd on the other hand. that the"
"reverse of this - (uniformity of Colour & a long continuation of lines")
produces Grandeur" - So Says Sir Joshua and So say I for I have
now proved that the parts of the art which I neglected to display on
those little pictures & drawings which I had the pleasure & profit to do
for you are incompatible with the designs - There is nothing in the

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Art which our Painters do. that I can confess myself ignorant of
I also Know & Understand & can assuredly affirm that the works I
have done for You are Equal to Carrache or Rafael (and I am now
Seven years older than Rafael was when he died) I say they are
Equal to Carrache or Rafael or Else I am Blind Stupid Ignorant
and Incapable in two years Study to understand those things which
a Boarding School Miss can comprehend in a fortnight. Be assured
M^r Dear Friend that there is not one touch in those Drawings & Pictures
but what came from my Head & my Heart in Unison. That I am
Proud of being their Author and Grateful to you my Employer. &
that I look upon you as the Chief of my Friends whom I would
endeavour to please because you among all men have enabled me
to produce these things. I would not send you a Drawing or a Picture
till I had again reconsidered my notions of Art & had put myself
back as if I was a learner I have proved that I am Right &
shall now Go on with the Vigor I was in my Childhood famous for

But I do not pretend to be Perfect. but if my Works have faults
Carrache Corregios & Rafaels have faults also. let me observe that the
yellow leather flesh of old men the ill drawn & ugly young women & above
all the dawbed black & yellow shadows that are found in most fine
ay & the finest of pictures. I altogether regret as ruinous to Effect
tho Connoisseurs may think otherwise.

Let me also notice that Carraches Pictures are not like Correggios
nor Correggios like Rafaels & if neither of them was to be encouraged
till he did like any of the others he (Erdman: be) must die without Encouragement
My Pictures are unlike any of these Painters & I would have them
to be so I think the manner I adopt More Perfect than any others
no doubt They thought the same of theirs.

You will be tempted to think that As I improve The Pictures &^c

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that I did for you are not what I would now wish them to be. On
this I beg to say That they are What I intended them & that
I know I never shall do better for if I was to do them over again
they would lose as much as they gaind because they were done
in the heat of my Spirits

But you will justly enquire why I have not written All
this time to you? I answer I have been very Unhappy &
could not think of troubling you about it or any of my real
Friends (I have written many letters to you which I burnd & did
not send) & why I have not before now finishd the Minature I
promised to M^rs Butts? I answer I have not till now in any
degree pleased myself & now I must intreat you to Excuse faults
for Portrait Painting is the direct contrary to Designing & Historical
Painting in every respect - If you have not Nature before you for
Every Touch you cannot Paint Portrait. & if you have Nature
before you at all you cannot Paint History it was Michall Angelos
opinion & is Mine. Pray Give My Wifes love with mine to M^rs Butts
assure her that it cannot be long before I have the pleasure of Painting
from you in Person & then that She may Expect a likeness but
now I have done All I could & know she will forgive any failure
in consideration of the Endeavours.

And now let me finish with assuring you that tho I have
been very unhappy I am so no longer I am again Emerged into
the light of Day I still & shall to Eternity Embrace Christianity
and Adore him who is the Express image of God but I have traveld
thro Perils & Darkness not unlike a Champion I have Conquerd
and shall still Go on Conquering Nothing can withstand the
fury of my Course among the Stars of God & in the Abysses of
the Accuser My Enthusiasm is Still what it was only Enlarged

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and confirmd

I now Send Two Pictures & hope you will approve of them
I have inclosed the Account of Money recievd & Work done
which I ought long ago to have sent you pray forgive Errors in
omissions of this kind I am incapable of many attentions which
it is my Duty to observe towards you thro multitude of
employment and thro hope of soon seeing you again I often
omit to Enquire of you But pray let me now hear how
you do & of the welfare of your family

Accept my Sincere love & respect
I remain Yours Sincerely

Willm Blake

(Note on the outside of the folded sheet)
A Piece of Sea Weed serves for
a Barometer at (sic) gets Wet & Dry
as the weather gets so