Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Another Pre Raphelite Painter - Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones

Sidonia Van Bork


Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones was one of the most popular Pre- Raphelite painters. He was liked by all of his fellow painters. Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones was English born and raised. He was great friends with William Morris and his wife. They had studios in the same place and eventually collaborated on several projects. This led to Burne-Jones working for the Kelinscott Press. There he illustrated one of the most incredible books, Chaucer 1896, the Press ever put out.

Sir Edward was very into the whole medieval chivalry thing. The Arthurian legends were right up his alley. He also loved the classics and they are ever present in his works. Through his friendship with Morris he went on to design some beautiful stained glass, tiles, jewelry, and tapestries with these themes. Many of these stained glass pieces you can still see today.

The Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts has three windows. The Oxford Brotherhood has several windows as does All Saints, and Christ Church at Oxford. In Somerset England at St. Mary's there are several windows and the green dining room at the Victoria and Albert Museum is decorated with his windows. There are also some windows in churches in Birmingham.

Sir Edward Coley Burn-Jones was also a painter. His bread and butter so to speak. He is thought to be the best of the Pre-Raphelite painters. I think this is because he is able to tell the story with one picture. You can see a story in each of his works. It isn't about one person in his work, it is the whole.

I personally enjoy his windows, just because they are so different. Many of his paintings you will recognize right off the bat. They, too use the same model Rossetti used as they too, were great friends. Burne-Jones was the most respected of the Pre-Raphelites. He was able to bring the brotherhood into the fore front of the times. I hope you will enjoy this smidgen of his works.

The Wedding of Psyche

Song of Love

Sleeping Beauty

The Mirror of Venus

The Heart of the Rose

Love Among the Ruins

6 comments:

Talking Horses Arts said...

Beautiful pictures Elizabeth!
Love all the info you are sharing about them with us!
Andrea.

mzjohansen said...

Loved your post ! Thanks !

BT said...

Elizabeth?? Oh yes, I suppose that's where Bea comes from! I thought it was Beatrice. I love those paintings, they are so pure and beautiful. I don't, on the whole, like ugly paintings. He certainly was a talented man.

BT said...

I must apologise for thinking you're Bea. Madness has set in!!

Lorrie Grainger Abdo said...

Elizabeth, Thanks for the art history lesson. I call myself an artist but am woefully deficient in the art history department!

Also, since I think of you as the door lady :) you might enjoy my latest blog post. I found all kinds of doors at a cool junque place nearby.

Lorrie

Citygirl.em said...

These paintings are so beautiful. I love Pre-Raphelite works. My favorites are by Rosetti-Beatta Beatrice (done of his wife who died) and I love Ophelia. It's so neat how the painters decided to paint literary figures.

Very cool post. Thanks!