 The set of 19 illustrations was commissioned for a book in 1805 |
British art galleries and collectors are being asked to find �8.8m for 19 William Blake watercolours in an attempt to keep them in the UK. The government has put a temporary export ban on Designs for Blair's Grave, commissioned in 1805 to illustrate a Robert Blair poetry book.
Their current owner wants to take them abroad - but has agreed to sell them for �8.8m if a British buyer is found.
They were discovered in a second-hand bookshop in Glasgow in 2001.
The works, designed to illustrate The Grave by the Scottish poet, were thought to have been kept in one family after they were auctioned in 1836.
 The Tate gallery is "considering its position" regarding a bid |
Only 12 illustrations were used in the book and the remaining seven were unknown to scholars when they resurfaced. After a court case to decide ownership, they were sold for �5m in 2003 to the current anonymous overseas owner.
The export ban runs out on 30 May, with the possibility of an extension until 30 September if someone has a "serious intention to raise funds".
The Tate gallery is "considering its position" regarding a bid, it said.
A visionary poet and illustrator, Blake is regarded as one of the greatest contributors to English literature and art.
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