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The Third Temptation

Watercolour
ca. 1803-5 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Blake, William (artist)
Place of origin
London (painted)

Watercolour entitled 'The Third Temptation'.

Object details

Categories
Watercolours
Christianity
Religion
Object type
Watercolour
TitleThe Third Temptation (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour, pen and ink, pencil and wash on paper.
Watercolour (Paint)
Ink
Pencil
Paper (Fiber Product)
Watercolour Painting (Technique)
Wash Technique
Brief description
Watercolour by William Blake entitled 'The Third Temptation'. Great Britain, ca. 1803-5.
Physical description
Watercolour entitled 'The Third Temptation'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 41.5cm
  • Width: 39.3cm
Style
British
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • WB (signed)
  • An exceeding high mountain (Inscribed at top of mount)
  • Then the Devil leaveth him &, behold, angels came & ministered / unto him (Inscribed at bottom of mount)
  • Mattw. ch: 4th. v. 11th. (Inscribed at bottom of mount)
Credit line
Purchased with the aid of contributions from the National Art-Collections Fund and from the funds of the Captain H B Murray Bequest
Object history
Was formerly in the collections of Thomas Butts, Captain Butts and W. Graham Robertson. Sold at Christies, 22nd July 1949, in the Graham Robertson Sale (Lot 6).
Subjects depicted
Christianity
Religion (Concept)
Christ
Literary referenceThe Bible. St Matthew, IV, II.
Bibliographic references
  • Robertson, W. Graham The Blake collection of W. Graham Robertson, described by the collector London: Published for the William Blake Foundation by Faber and Faber, 1952. 263p. 64 plates.
  • Original works by William Blake. 1949 July 22 London: Christie's, 1949.
  • Butlin, Martin The Paintings and Drawings of William Blake New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1981. Cat. 476, pl.557.
  • Bindham, David Blake as an Artist Oxford: Phaidon, 1977. 256p.
  • Michael Phillips and Catherine de Bourgoing, William Blake. le Génie visionnaire du romantisme anglias Paris: Paris-Musées, 2009. ISBN: 978-2-7596-0077-9.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1950, London: HMSO, 1962.
  • Philipps, Michael (ed.), William Blake, 1757-1827 : le Génie Visionnaire du Romantisme Anglais, Paris : Paris Musées, 2009 no. 106
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
P.26-1949

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Record createdFebruary 25, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O192554/the-third-temptation-watercolour-blake-william/
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