John Varley was an English watercolour painter of the transitional period between topographical drawing and painting in watercolours. He was helped at the beginning of his career by Dr Monro, and in his turn helped and taught many other artists: he was also a close friend of William Blake and knew Samuel Palmer. He seems to have been very credulous and he wrote on astrology, in which he firmly believed.
There are works in London (BM, Tate, V&A). His brothers Cornelius (1781-1873) and William (c.1785-1856) were also painters and are represented in the V&A.
