- Title:
- "Iron sleet of arrowy shower Hurtles in the darkened air..." (Design 71)
- Additional Title(s):
Verso: "Shafts for shuttles, dipt in gore, Shoot the trembling cords along..." (Design 72)
The Fatal Sisters- Part Of:
- Date:
- between 1797 and 1798
- Materials & Techniques:
- Watercolor with pen and black ink and graphite on moderately thick, slightly textured, cream wove paper with inlaid letterpress page
- Dimensions:
- Sheet: 16 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches (41.9 x 32.4 cm)
- Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:
Inscribed in black ink upper right: "5"; in graphite center: "x"; on verso in black ink upper left: "6"; in graphite upper center: "x"
Lettered on inlaid page: "THE | FATAL SISTERS. | AN ODE. | NOW the storm begins to lour, | (Haste, the loom of hell prepare,) | Iron sleet of arrowy shower | Hurtles in the darkened air. | Glitt'ring lances are the loom, | Where the dusky warp we strain, | Weaving many a soldier's doom, | Orkney's woe, and Randver's bane. | H3 See"; Lettered on verso, on inlaid page: "112 THE FATAL SISTERS. | See the grisly texture grow! | ('Tis of human entrails made,) | And the weights that play below, | Each a gasping warrior's head. | Shafts for shuttles, dipt in gore, | Shoot the trembling cords along. | Sword, that once a monarch bore, | Keep the tissue close and strong. | Mista, black terrific maid, | Sangrida, and Hilda, see! | Join the wayward work to aid: | 'Tis the woof of victory. | Ere the ruddy sun be set, | Pikes must shiver, javelins sing, | Blade with clatt'ring buckler meet, | Hauberk crash, and helmet ring. | (Weave"
- Credit Line:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Copyright Status:
- Public Domain
- Accession Number:
- B1992.8.11(36)
- Classification:
- Drawings & Watercolors
- Collection:
- Prints and Drawings
- Subject Terms:
- arrows | heads | literary theme | men | pointing | rain | religious and mythological subject | serpent | snake | spears | sword | text | women
- Access:
- Accessible by appointment in the Study Room [Request]
Note: The Study Room is open by appointment. Please visit the Study Room page on our website for more details. - Link:
- https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:3663
- Export:
- XML
- IIIF Manifest:
- JSON
Colin Cross, Blake revealed, William Blake : Discovery of a Masterwork , Observer, vol. 12, November 21, 1971, pp. 19-23, V 1245 Detached from Observer colour magazine [ORBIS]
Arnold Fawcus, Unknown Watercolours by William Blake, Illustrated London News, vol. 259, No. 6881, December 25, 1971, pp. 45-46, 49-51, Illustrated London News Historical Archive [ORBIS]