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A CONCORDANCE BETWEEN WILLIAM ROSSETTI’S ANNOTATED LISTS, W. GRAHAM ROBERTSON’S SUPPLEMENTARY LIST, AND BUTLIN’S CATALOGUE NUMBERS

Table 1 shows the numbers of William Rossetti’s annotated lists of Blake’s paintings, drawings, and engravings as they appear in the 1863 and 1880 editions of Alexander Gilchrist’s Life of William Blake, together with the corresponding numbers in my catalogue of The Paintings and Drawings of William Blake, 1981. Rossetti divided his lists into three: list 1, works in color; list 2, uncolored works; and list 3, works of unascertained method (whether colored or uncolored). Each has its own numerical sequence. In the Table the lists are given in numerical order as they appear in the 1863 and 1880 editions. In cases where the sequence of the 1863 and 1880 lists is not the same, the relevant number, if out of order, is given in italics, e.g. 135. Numbers in brackets refer to works mentioned by Rossetti under a number but not listed separately, i.e. [13a] and [13b] are works referred to under his no. 13. The third column gives the corresponding number in my catalogue of 1981. In the case of works drawn on both sides of the paper the reference is assumed to be to the recto unless otherwise stated; in cases where different numbers refer to recto and verso both are given.

Table 2 lists the items in the “supplementary list” added by W. Graham Robertson in his edition of Alexander Gilchrist’s Life of William Blake of 1907. Graham Robertson reproduced William Rossetti’s lists from the first, 1863 edition of Gilchrist’s Life with certain modifications and corrections. Most of these are minor, asterisks for works of “considerable size,” changes of media, and the addition of certain museums as current owners; conversely, the names of the mid-nineteenth century owners given by Rossetti are omitted (as indeed they were by Rossetti in his own revised 1880 lists). Under Rossetti’s no. 5, “A Breach in a City” (Butlin 188, ?189), he adds “There is another version of this design, larger in size and paler in colour. Reproduced at page 64” (this is the version in the Ackland Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Butlin 191). Graham Robertson corrects the medium of no. 6, “The Bard from Gray” (Butlin 160), to watercolor, mentions that this was the work exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1785, and adds a reference to the tempera shown in Blake’s exhibition (Butlin 655). Under no. 179, “Satan Exulting Over Eve” (apparently the color print, Butlin 291), he “corrects” the medium from tempera to “Varnished begin page 13 | back to top water-colour” and adds, “A colour-print of this design was produced in 1795,” presumably the second version of the color print, dated 1795 (Butlin 292). To no. 199, “An Allegory of the Spiritual Condition of Man” (Butlin 673), Graham Robertson adds a descriptive footnote. In Rossetti’s list 2, Graham Robertson notes that nos. 67 and 88 (Butlin 639 and 641) are “inscribed respectively 1806 and 1807.” He also transcribes the inscription on the back of no. 88, “The Fall of Man.”

Graham Robertson’s supplementary list consists partly of works added by William Rossetti in his lists of 1880, partly of works transferred by Rossetti from his list 3, works of unascertained method, to his list 1, works in color, and partly of works newly discovered (or thought to be newly discovered) by himself.

Where in both these tables the number under Butlin 1981 is queried, or where more than one number is given, full explanations can be found in my catalogue entries. In the course of checking these tables I have found certain omissions or errors in my references to Rossetti’s lists in the sections on “Lit”:

No. 160: Rossetti 1863, p. 202 no. 6
No. 197A: Rossetti 1880, p. 274 list 2 no. 187
No. 2612: Rossetti 1863, p. 202 no. 10, and 1880, p. 208 no. 12
No. 405: ?Rossetti 1863, p. 206 no. 30, and 1880, p. 213 no. 43
No. 471: ?Rossetti 1880, p. 243 no. 209 (as well as no. 207)
No. 556: this is listed in Rossetti 1880, p. 226 no. 120, framed with No. 553

Only two of these additions are of any great significance, those concerning Nos. 197A and 2612; the latter confirms that the work belonged to Mrs. Alexander Gilchrist in 1863. The other additions are more of interest from the point of view of Rossetti’s method, or lack of it. Neither William Rossetti nor W. Graham Robertson was infallible; but nor, no doubt, am I.

1 Europe pl. 15; copy now in the Lockwood Memorial Library, State University of New York, Buffalo (see G. E. Bentley, Jr., Blake Books, 1977, pp. 163-64, and Butlin 1981, no. 179).

TABLE 1: WILLIAM ROSSETTI’S LISTS OF 1863 AND 1880
ROSSETTI 1863 ROSSETTI 1880 BUTLIN 1981
List No. 1, Works in Color
1 1 69
2 2 63
3 3 ?60
4 4 187
5 5 188, ?189
[5a] 191
6 6 160, 655
7 7 155
8 8 156
9 9 157
135 10 404
142 11 419
10 12 2612
11 13 255
12 14 264
13 15 301
[13a] [15a] 303
[13b] [15b] 302
14 16 272
15 17 281
16 18 see note 1
17 19 320
[17a] [19a] 321
18 20 289
19 21 297
20 22 323
21 23 295
[21a] [23a] 294
[21b] [23b] 296
22 24 306
25 330
23 26 424
24 27 428
25 28 384
26 29 402
27 30 380
28 31 396
29 32 397
30 33 398
31 34 399
32 35 413
33 36 658
83 37 495
34 38 343
35 39 376
36 40 667
37 41 668
38 42 347
39 43 ?405, ?472
40 44 507
41 45 503
42 46 512
43 47 511
44 48 452
45 49 436
46 50 456
47 51 661
48 52 662
53 ?34318
54 345
49 55 576
50 56 578
51 57 579
52 58 485
53 59 445
54 60 194
55 61 193
56 62 442
57 63 196
58 64 468
59 65 453
60 66 455
61 67 437
62 68 464
63 69 515
64 70 478

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ROSSETTI 1863 ROSSETTI 1880 BUTLIN 1981
65 71 467
66 72 294
67 73 325
74 366
68 75 195
69 76 472
77 5471
78 5475
79 5476
70 80 613
81 633
82 466
71 83 531
84 639
85 529
72 86 548
73 87 549
88 5473
74 89 642
75 90 536
76 91 438
77 92 500
78 93 653
79 94 649
95 651
80 96 657
81 97 659
82 98 660
99 299
100 655
83 37 495
84 101 663
85 102 ?806
103 5472
86 104 523
105 538
87 106 377
88 107 378
89 108 675
109 750
90 110 648
91 111 5372
92 112 5371
93 113 5373
94 114 479
95 115 481
96 116 775
97 117 550
98 118 551
99 119 394
120 553, 556
121 674
100 122 544
101 123 8121-69, 100-2
102 124 81270-89
103 125 81290-99
126 817
104 127 433
105 128 434
106 129 435
107 130 379
108 131 ?476
109 132 ?292
110 133 838
111 134 381
112 135 382
113 136 439
114 137 385
115 138 440
116 139 441
117 140 387
118 141 447
119 142 446
143 449
120 144 461
121 145 450
122 146 388
123 147 457
148 66
124 149 458
125 150 390
126 151 459
127 152 391
List 3 no. 1 153 462
128 154 392
129 155 460
130 156 395
131 157 393
132 158 400
133 159 401
134 160 470
135 10 404
136 161 405
137 162 414
138 163 415
139 164 475
140 165 484
141 166 421
142 11 419
143 167 417
144 168 489
145 169 487
146 170 488
147 171 486
148 172 483
149 173 482
150 174 420
151 175 422
152 176 490
153 177 425
154 178 491
155 179 496
156 180 494
157 181 497
158 182 426
159 183 427
160 184 498
161 185 499
162 186 502
163 187 501
164 188 325
165 189 328
166 190 505
167 191 506
168 192 508
169 193 510
170 194 509
171 195 514
172 196 518
173 197 520
174 198 524
175 199 519
List 3 no. 12 200 517
176 200 521

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2 British Museum 1853.12.10.497. Despite being included in the Council of Europe’s exhibition The Age of Neo-Classicism, Royal Academy and Victoria and Albert Museum 1972 (513), this is not, in the compiler’s opinion, by Blake. 3 Europe pl. 8; copy now in National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (see Bentley ibid, p. 163). 4 This item is in fact a heading to Rossetti 1863 nos. 26a-60 (1880 nos. 31-65).

ROSSETTI 1863 ROSSETTI 1880 BUTLIN 1981
177 201 522
178 202 836
179 203 ?291
180 204 449
181 205 469
206 ?674
182 207 471
183 208 ?671
209 ?471
184 210 406
185 211 669
186 212 409
187 213 411
188 214 410
189 215 412
190 216 473
191 217 671
192 218 474
193 219 437
194 70 478
195 220 513
196 221 463
197 222 493
198 223 431
199 224 673
200 225 429
201 226 670
226A ?641
202 227 ?844
203 228 see under 294
List 3 no. 19 229 770
204 110 648
205 230 528
[230a] 527
206 231 543
207 542
232 845
List 3 no. 17 233 ?5361, ?662
List 3 no. 18 234 5362
208 235 811
209 236 ?140
210 237 638
211 238 546, 829
239 127
212 240 161
213 241 245
214 242 84
243 846
244 805
215 245 525
216 246 see note 2
217 247 846A
218 248 311
[218a] 310
219 249 91
220 250 90
221 251 342
222 253 287
223 252 467
222 253 287
224 254 185
225 255 60, 62, 64
226 256 ?247
227 75 195
228 257 316
[228a] [257a] 317
229 258 500
230 259 341
231 260 2622
232 261 2626
233 262 2628
263 256
264 see note 3
265 ?247
266 652
267 287
List No. 2, Uncolored Works
1 1 68
2 2 221
3 3 207 recto
4 4 207 verso
5 5 166
6 6 163
7 7 337
71 8 332
8 9 359
9 10 361 verso
10 11 361 recto
12 ?621
11 13 131 recto
12 14 131 verso
13 15 626
14 16 630
15 17 635
16 18 624 recto
17 19 624 verso
18 20 ?192
19 21 331
20 22 615
21 23 636
22 24 644
23 25 647
24 26 650
25 27 201
28 679
[28a] 680
29 678
26 30 see note 4 and 697
26a 52 734
27 51 734
28 55 ?736
29 53 757
30 38 713
31 44 724
32 31 752
33 56 735
34 32 698
35 57 737
36 58 741
37 50 728
38 54 728
39 64 755
40 33 699
41 34 699
42 48 731
43 35 700 or 701
44 49 730
45 40 716
46 46 726
47 45 725
48 39 720

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1 “The Penance of Jane Shore,” pen and watercolor, 24.5 × 29.5 cm.   Tate Gallery, London. Listed by Rossetti (1863 no. 1; 1880 no. 1) as painted 1778-79, the work exhibited in Blake’s exhibition of 1809 as “done above Thirty Years ago”; in fact this work must date, for stylistic reasons, to c. 1793, though there is an earlier, less accomplished version that can be dated c. 1779 (Butlin 1981, no. 67).

5 This item is a heading to Rossetti 1880 nos. 68-81.

ROSSETTI 1863 ROSSETTI 1880 BUTLIN 1981
49 41 717
50 37 705
51 47 729
[51a] [47a] ?692a
52 43 721
53 42 69236
54 59 743 or 744
55 60 745
56 65 69298
57 63 692c
58 36 704
59 62 748
60 61 746
61 66 765
50 37 705
30 38 713
48 39 720
45 40 716
49 41 717
53 42 69236
52 43 721
31 44 724
47 45 725
46 46 726
51 47 729
[51a] [47a] ?692a
42 48 731
44 49 730
37 50 728
27 51 734
26a 52 734
29 53 757
38 54 728
28 55 ?736
33 56 735
35 57 737
36 58 741
54 59 743 or 744
55 60 745
60 61 746
59 62 748
57 63 692c
39 64 755
56 65 69298
61 66 765
67 see note 5
68 696
69 696
70 710 or 711
71 708
72 714
73 715
74 723
75 732
76 ?747
77 693
78 689
79 709
80 763
81 753

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2 “The Bard, from Gray,” tempera on canvas, 60 × 44.1 cm.   Tate Gallery, London. In 1863 Rossetti (no. 6) listed the tempera as the work exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1785; in 1880 (no. 100) he correctly listed it as exhibited in Blake’s 1809 exhibition, distinguishing it from the lost watercolor exhibited in 1785 (again his no. 6).
3 “The Spiritual Form of Pitt guiding Behemoth,” tempera on canvas, 74 × 62.7 cm.   Tate Gallery, London. Although this belonged to Samuel Palmer it is missing from Rossetti’s 1863 lists; he did however add it in 1880 (no. 95). It is also included in W. Graham Robertson’s “Supplementary List” (works in color: poetical and miscellaneous no. 14).

ROSSETTI 1863 ROSSETTI 1880 BUTLIN 1981
82 692
62 83 769
84 707
63 85 555
64 86 821
65 87 823
66 88 828
67 89 589
68 90 ?622
69 91 ?666
92 840
[92a] 881
70 93 109
71 8 332
94 443
95 ?115
72 96 111
73 97 554
74 98 165
75 99 623
76 100 124
77 101 125
102 ?122
78 103 610
79 104 504
105 ?120A
80 106 ?622
81 107 329
82 108 293
83 109 407

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4 “The Body of Abel found by Adam and Eve,” tempera on mahogany panel, 32.5 × 43.3 cm.   Tate Gallery, London. Listed by Rossetti (1863 no. 85; 1880 no. 102) as the work included in Blake’s 1809 exhibition and belonging, in 1863, to Capt. Butts; in fact Capt. Butts’ tempera can be dated c. 1826. The work exhibited in 1809 was almost certainly the watercolor from the Linnell collection now in the Fogg Museum (Butlin 1981 no. 664).

6 Bateson Collection; repr. Geoffrey Keynes Pencil Drawings by William Blake, 1927, pl. 35, but subsequently recognized as being by Edward Francis Burney (1760-1848). See Morse Peckham, “Blake, Milton, and Edward Burney,” Princeton University Chronicle, 11 (1950), 107-26, and Geoffrey Keynes, Blake’s Pencil Drawings; Second Series, 1956, vii-ix.

ROSSETTI 1863 ROSSETTI 1880 BUTLIN 1981
84 110 526
85 111 92
86 112 617
87 113 639
88 114 641
89 115 645
90 116 852
91 117 95 verso
92 118 132
119 ?350
93 120 180
94 121 130
95 122 95 recto
96 123 250, 251
97 124 249
125 847
98 126 183
99 127 106
100 128 ?530
101 129 see note 6
102 130 137
103 131 ?790
104 132 791
105 133 683
106 134 859
107 135 205
108 136 581
109 137 ?570

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5 “Adam and Eve recumbent, hovered over by Angels,” pencil on paper, 37 × 50 cm.   Bateson Collection (at present on loan to the Fine Art Museum, San Francisco). Although listed by Rossetti (1863 list 2 no. 101; 1880 list 2 no. 129) as a genuine work, in possession of Alexander Gilchrist’s widow, this is now recognized as the work of Edward Francis Burney.
6 “Sketch for ‘Hecate,’” pencil and wash on paper, 24.2 × 27.8 cm.   Ian L. Phillips, London. An example of work missed by Rossetti but included in W. Graham Robertson’s “Supplementary List” (uncolored works no. 15).
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ROSSETTI 1863 ROSSETTI 1880 BUTLIN 1981
110 138 857
111 139 89
112 140 ?308
113 141 315
114 142 199
115 143 869
116 144 ?232, 855
117 145 820
118 146 308
119 147 309 recto
120 148 309 verso
121 149 602
122 150 ?597
123 151 596
124 152 254A
125 153 872
126 154 681
127 155 690 verso
128 156 690 recto
129 157 827
130 158 182
131 159 142
132 160 761
133 161 138
134 162 153
135 163 637
136 164 767
137 165 237
138 166 849
139 167 ?209
140 168 443
141 169 867
142 170 ?583
143 171 575
144 172 238
173 336
145 174 560
146 175 ?211
147 176 210
148 177 595
149 178 214 recto
150 179 214 verso
151 180 197
152 181 858
153 182 ?541
154 183 582
155 184 564
156 185 198
186 ?148
187 197A
188 854
189 866
190 866
191 333, 877
List No. 3, Works of Unascertained Method
1 208
1 2 462
2 3 841
3 4 383
4 5 389
5 6 466
6 7 401
7 8 403
8 9 423
9 10 477
10 11 416
11 12 425A
12 List l no. 200 517
13 13 469
14 14 ?419, 432
15 15 ?490
16 53610
17 List l no. 233 5361
18 List l no. 234 5362
19 List l no. 229 770
20 16 335
21 17 133
22 18 853
23 19 73
24 20 691

TABLE 2: W. GRAHAM ROBERTSON’S SUPPLEMENTARY LIST, 1907
WGR 1907 BUTLIN 1981
Works in Color: Biblical
1 299
2 311
3 462
4 466
5 552
6 553
7 556
8 807
9 ?806
10 674
Works in Color: Poetical and Miscellaneous
1 60
2 55
3 313
4 808
5 809
6 633
7 620
8 5471
9 5474
10 5475
11 5473
12 5472
13 5476
14 651
15 652
16 805
17 770
18 676
19 750
Uncolored Works
1 166
2 164
3 363
4 756
5 789
6 370
7 643

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WGR 1907 BUTLIN 1981
8 ?622
9 819
10 816
11 834
12 218
13 339
14 679
15 319
16a 696
16b 696
16c 708
16d 753
16e 714
16f 723
16g 763
16h 707

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