Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Two Grotesque Heads

After William Blake
1757-1827

Two Grotesque Heads

10 3/5 x 6 11/16 inches (264 x 170 mm)
Black chalk, graphite, and gray, blue, red, brown and yellow watercolor, on tracing paper mounted on card.
1980.79:20

Gift of Mr. Herman Cohen.

Notes
Copy on tracing paper by an unknown copyist of two figures from William Blake's drawing to illustrate the general t.p. of Night VIII of Edward Young's Night thoughts; the original drawing now in the collection of the British Museum.
Inscriptions/Markings
Inscribed in pencil at upper right: The scarlet whore on the red dragon; across bottom: Romanism Kings War Law.
Summary

Two grotesque heads evidently intended to represent the faces of "Romanism" and "War"; the one at left crowned with a papal tiara and the other, and the other at right wearing a stylized helmet.

Associated names
Cohen, Herman, former owner.
Young, Edward, 1683-1765. Night thoughts.
Classification
Century Drawings
School
Department