It’s a story fit for a suspense movie: In 2001, two book dealers in Glasgow find on the dusty shelves of a rare book shop a set of nineteen perfectly preserved watercolors by poet/artist William Blake.

They are painted visions of the spirit world, and of human beings managing momentous passages. They have titles like “Death’s Door,” “The Day of Judgment,” “Death of the Strong Wicked Man,” and “The Soul Hovering Over the Body Reluctantly Parting with Life.” They are alive with sacred energy.

Blake was a visionary mystic who had his first visions of spirits as a very young child. This particular watercolor set was painted to illustrate a poem in 1805. Many would kill for the whole folio. Thus, lawsuits followed its discovery. A private dealer finally bought it. But no museum seems to be able to afford the beauties, as together they are valued between $12 and $17 million. And now–here’s the part no screenwriter would much like–they are due to be divided like children torn from a loving family and sold individually on the auction block in May at Sotheby’s in New York. Just like that. They may never be together again.

I guess we should be happy the watercolors are alive and well at all, reminding us of the work and the vision of this wonderful artist. Have a look. You’ll hear more about this, I’m sure.

Beliefnet assembled a beautiful package on the work of William Blake in June 2001 when the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York staged a large and impressive showing of his work.