WATTS INDEXThe canonical database of visual culture

Artists›John Varley

John Varley

1778

WA-00113154

Painting

Representation

None documented

Institutional Exhibitions

Works in Collection

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Publications Referenced

50%

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Authority Records (1)

Smithsonian

Field Verification (2 fields)

1 cross-verified · 1 single-source

Birth yearArtsy· 85%✓
NationalityArtsy· 85%

Source Registry (1)

Smithsonianhttps://www.si.edu/object/saam_1956.11.61
Tier 1 · Institutional90%

About

Why this artist matters now

John Varley was an English watercolour painter and astrologer, and a close friend of William Blake. They collaborated in 1819–1820 on the book Visionary Heads, written by Varley and illustrated by Blake. He was the elder brother of a family of artists: Cornelius Varley, William Fleetwood Varley, and Elizabeth, who married the painter William Mulready.

Source: Smithsonian Institution · Trust score: 90% · Updated 1mo ago

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6 in graph

Canonical record

Artworks (11)

Schets van een compositie en een kapiteel

1830 · pen on paper, ink

height: 174 cm, width: 260 cm

Rijksmuseum

Lindisfarne Abbey op Holy Island, Northumberland

1830 · brush on watercolor (paint), paper

width: 260 cm, height: 174 cm

Rijksmuseum

The Curfew

1820 · brush on paper, watercolor (paint)

height: 390 cm, width: 730 cm

Rijksmuseum

Bray Church Yard

1807 · watercolor and graphite

Sheet: 24.9 x 36.9 cm (9 13/16 x 14 1/2 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

WattsOS

Tudor Farm Buildings

1800 · Brush and gray wash over graphite, on ivory board

17.5 × 25 cm (6 15/16 × 9 7/8 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

WattsOS

Tudor Barn

1800 · Brush and gray wash over graphite, on ivory wove paper

16.7 × 24.8 cm (6 5/8 × 9 13/16 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

WattsOS

Woman and Two Children on Road by Cottages

1800 · Pen and brown ink with brush and blue and brown wash and pastel, on brown wove paper

24.2 × 30.6 cm (9 9/16 × 12 1/16 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

WattsOS

Man Seated by Tower on Stream

1800 · Brush and brown wash over graphite, on tan board

16.6 × 23.9 cm (6 9/16 × 9 7/16 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

Kidwelly Castle, South Wales

1800 · Brush with black and gray wash, on cream wove paper, laid down on cream wove paper

22.9 × 32.3 cm (9 1/16 × 12 3/4 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

WattsOS

Path through Trees at Sunset

1798 · Watercolor, varnished with gum arabic, on ivory wove paper, laid down on card

9.1 × 13.5 cm (3 5/8 × 5 3/8 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

Cottage Beside Path

1798 · Graphite on tan wove laminate card

26.7 × 35.8 cm (10 9/16 × 14 1/8 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

View all 11 artworks →

Artwork sources (3)

11 published of 11 catalogued · 6 with image

Art Institute Chicago
7 published2 img
Rijksmuseum
3 published3 img
Cleveland Museum of Art
1 published1 img

Per-Artwork Provenance Chains (top 2)

2 entries · 1 sources

The Curfew
1820 · Rijksmuseum · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Bray Church Yard
1807 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number

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