Angeli Laudantes - Edward Burne-Jones

A detailed print of Angeli Laudantes, a design by Edward Burne-Jones featuring two harp-playing angels amidst a floral meadow.

Angeli Laudantes, or Praising Angels, is a design by Edward Burne-Jones, originally executed as a textile piece by Morris and Co. The composition features two central figures of angels, each holding a harp, positioned against a dense background of flora. The angels possess large, feathered wings rendered in deep red tones, which contrast with their pale, flowing robes. The figures stand amidst a meadow of flowers, including lilies and columbines, which are characteristic of the botanical interests found in the work of the Pre-Raphaelite circle.

The design is framed by a decorative border containing fruit and foliage, a common feature in the textile output of the Morris and Co. workshop. Burne-Jones collaborated closely with William Morris on various decorative projects, and this work reflects their shared interest in medieval aesthetics and the revival of traditional craft techniques. The figures exhibit the elongated proportions and melancholic expressions often associated with Burne-Jones, who drew inspiration from early Renaissance painting and Arthurian legend.

This print captures the precise detail of the original textile, from the individual feathers of the wings to the specific botanical specimens at the feet of the angels. The colour palette relies on the interplay between the cool blues of the drapery and the warm, saturated reds of the wings, set against a dark, grounding background. The work functions as a study in symmetry and balance, with the two angels mirroring each other in posture and gesture. It remains a representative example of the late nineteenth-century British decorative arts movement, where the boundary between fine art and functional craft was intentionally blurred.