John Parry, the famous Blind Harpist of Ruabon, was a musical celebrity of his day. Blind from a young age, he later became famous for his performances on the triple harp, and was an influential composer and publisher. He helped establish the triple harp as a national icon for Wales, linked with romantic legends of Celtic druids and ancient bards, and brought popular Welsh folk tunes to the attention of privileged, elite audiences in Wales and beyond. Some consider this a raise in their status, although they held considerable cultural and social value as folk songs in themselves.
He is shown here playing his harp in a luxurious interior, probably a room in Wynnstay, the home of his patron, Sir Watkin Williams Wynn. Playing the harp was one of the few ways blind people could make a living in the 18th century, but most blind harpists would have been poor and underprivileged. John Parry had a winning combination of talent and the support of a rich patron, which allowed him to rise through the ranks. Next to him in the portrait is an assistant, which may be his son David. He is holding the score to Handel’s famous coronation anthem, Zadok the Priest. This is a reference to Watkin Williams Wynn’s love for Handel’s music and a tribute to another famous blind musician; Handel was almost completely blind by 1751, after failed eye surgery, though he continued to perform.
The Williams Wynn family also supported John Parry’s son, William, to become an artist. William Parry painted several portraits of his father, including this one, which was painted around 1770. William had just returned to Wales following his training in the Royal Academy, supported by Watkin Williams Wynn.
John Parry was romanticised in his day as a living embodiment of the ancient bards of Wales, and his blindness added legitimacy to this claim. Many famous bards from ancient history and literature are blind. They are often seen as prophets, mystics or visionaries, people with a highly developed inner vision, as though to compensate for their lack of physical sight. The association between bards and blindness is a romantic stereotype, but one which holds strong in Western cultural imagination. Parry’s 'ravishing blind harmony’ with ‘tunes enough to choke you’ inspired Thomas Gray to finish writing his influential poem 'The Bard' in 1757.
