Narrowly, a visionary is one who experiences a supernatural vision or apparition. In religion, visions comprise inspirational renderings, generally of a future state and/or of a mythical being, and are believed (by followers of the religion) to come from a deity, directly or indirectly via prophets, and serve to inspire or prod believers as part of a revelation or an epiphany. ... An apparition is an act or instance of appearing. ...

By extension, visionary came to mean also a person with a clear, distinctive and specific (in some details) vision of the future, usually connected with advances in technology or political arrangements. Examples would be Buckminster Fuller in architecture, and some of the pioneers of personal computing. A visionary may function as a secular prophet, emphasising communication and a figurehead role, rather than implementation. See also: Innovation By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a level of technological mastery sufficient to leave the surface of the planet for the first time and explore space. ... In the U.S. postage stamp commemorating Buckminster Fuller and his contributions to architecture and science, some of his inventions are visible. ... Depending on the nature of the structure, the skills of the architect ranges from the complex, such as a hospital or a stadium, to something more simple, such as planning buildings in a residential area. ... A prophet is a person who is believed to communicate with God, or with a deity. ...

Within art William Blake is probably the best-known visionary artist; he is reputed to have experienced visions beginning in his early childhood. Art (or the creative arts) commonly refers to the act and process of making material works (or artworks) which, from concept to creation, hold a fidelity to the creative impulse —ie. ... William Blake (1807) William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker. ...

Visionary art is defined as a category of primitive art (i.e. art of those not formally trained). Artists may produce art categorised as 'visionary' for its luminous content, without being primitives in any sense (e.g. Samuel Palmer). An artist celebrated for his visionary, religious take on ordinary life is Stanley Spencer. Visionary art is art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself. ... Naïve art is a term that is usually applied to the work of untrained painters; it presumes the existence of an academy and of a generally accepted educated manner of painting. ... Self-portrait of the young Samuel Palmer, circa 1824. ... Stanley Spencer (1891 - 1959) was an English painter. ...