William Blake (1757–1827)
Owen Glendower, ca. 1820
Graphite on laid paper
9 1/8 x 7 1/8 in. (23.1 x 18 cm)
Bequest of Charles A. Ryskamp, 2010
Photo Michael Bodycomb
Drawing on his powerful skills of invention, Blake envisions the rugged features and stern gaze of the medieval Welsh nobleman and revolutionary Owen Glendower, whose countenance he renders with flowing, sinuous lines. The sheet belongs to a series of "visionary heads" by Blake and his associates, whose enthusiasm for the realm of the imagination would become a hallmark of the British Romantic tradition.