• The Feast of Peleus

  Birmingham Museums Trust

  Birmingham, United Kingdom

  60 works

  

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  Yale Center for British Art

  New Haven, United States

  23 works

  Tue–Sat 10:00–17:00, Sun 12:00–17:00; closed Mon · Free

  

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  Southampton City Art Gallery

  Southampton, United Kingdom

  21 works

  

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  Victoria and Albert Museum

  London, United Kingdom

  13 works

  Mon-Thu 10:00-17:45, Fri 10:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-17:45 · Free

  

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  Tate

  London, United Kingdom

  21 works

  Daily 10:00–18:00 · Free (permanent collection)

  

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  Fogg Museum

  Cambridge, United States

  11 works

  Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon · Free

  

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Plan your visit to see Edward Burne-Jones →

• What is Edward Burne-Jones's most famous work?+

  Although it is difficult to name a single "most famous" work, *King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid* (1884) is a strong contender. The painting was received with great acclaim when exhibited in 1884; one publication called it "the picture of the year". The subject is taken from an old Elizabethan ballad, which tells of King Cophetua's love for a poor beggar girl, whom he marries and makes his queen. Burne-Jones began work on the painting in 1880, completing it four years later. A large watercolour on the same theme was completed in 1883. The king is depicted in full armour, with the crown in his hands, sitting at the feet of the beggar girl. The work earned Burne-Jones a medal and the Order of the Legion of Honour in Paris in 1889. He was soon linked with Symbolism, attracting an intellectual circle who admired his ethereal style. A photoengraving of the painting was produced in a limited run.
• What should I know about Edward Burne-Jones's prints?+

  Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) is best known as a painter and designer associated with the second wave of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Although he is not primarily known as a printmaker, prints after his work circulated widely and helped to establish his reputation. Many of these prints were reproductive engravings or photogravures, made after paintings such as *The Golden Stairs* (1880) and other popular works. These allowed a wider audience to experience Burne-Jones's aesthetic. Burne-Jones also designed woodcuts and other illustrations for books published by Kelmscott Press, owned by his close friend William Morris. Examples include illustrations for *The Story of the Glittering Plain* (1891). These designs reflect the influence of medieval art and the Arts and Crafts movement, with its emphasis on quality materials and craftsmanship. These prints show Burne-Jones's interest in linear design and simplified forms. His print work is thus an important, if sometimes overlooked, aspect of his wider artistic output.
• What style or movement did Edward Burne-Jones belong to?+

  Edward Burne-Jones (born in Birmingham, 1833; died in London, 1898) is associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, although he was not one of its original members. He was also a great influence on the Symbolists. Burne-Jones's association with Dante Gabriel Rossetti influenced his artistic style. His paintings often feature mystical and spiritual qualities, with meticulous attention to detail. He was also deeply affected by early Italian Renaissance artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Andrea Mantegna. From the 1870s, the Pre-Raphaelites moved closer to Symbolism; Burne-Jones's The Heart of the Rose is an example. His introspective, medievalised heroines are often set in dreamlike locations, reflecting his own convictions. Burne-Jones was a lifelong friend of William Morris, and they were both involved in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. from 1861. The firm designed large friezes and panel cycles, as well as fabrics and stained glass, based on the ideal of a medieval guild.
• What techniques or materials did Edward Burne-Jones use?+

  Edward Burne-Jones was a painter and designer associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He worked in several media, including painting, stained glass, and drawing. In his paintings, Burne-Jones often employed a meticulous technique, building up layers of thin glazes to achieve luminosity and subtle colour modulations. He prepared his surfaces carefully, often using gesso panels. His paintings display an interest in line and form, combined with a decorative sensibility. Burne-Jones's colour palettes often feature muted tones, favouring blues, greens, and golds. Burne-Jones also designed stained glass, most notably for Morris & Co. These designs display his distinctive figural style and demonstrate his understanding of the properties of light and colour in glass. He produced many drawings, often as preparatory studies for paintings or designs for other media. These drawings show his skill as a draughtsman and his attention to detail. He used various drawing media, including pencil, chalk, and watercolour.
• What was Edward Burne-Jones known for?+

  Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) was a British artist associated with the second wave of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He moved away from the realism of the early Pre-Raphaelites; instead, he favoured a more romantic and symbolic style. Burne-Jones initially trained for the priesthood at Exeter College, Oxford, where he met William Morris. Both men soon became devoted to art, and Burne-Jones began studying with Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He worked in several media, including stained glass, mosaics, and painting. He is well known for his paintings on Arthurian legends and classical mythology. His early paintings of the 1860s, such as *The Merciful Knight*, display a medievalising aesthetic and a muted colour palette. In the 1870s and 1880s, his style evolved towards more complex compositions and a broader colour range, as seen in works like *The Beguiling of Merlin* (1872-77) and *King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid* (1884). These later works show an interest in Renaissance art, particularly the work of Sandro Botticelli and Andrea Mantegna. Burne-Jones's work influenced the Aesthetic movement and Symbolism.
• When did Edward Burne-Jones live and work?+

  Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham on 28 August 1833 and died in London in 1898. He was a painter, illustrator, and designer associated with the second phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Burne-Jones received some drawing instruction from Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He met William Morris while studying at Exeter College, Oxford. Both were influenced by the writings of John Ruskin. Burne-Jones decided to become a painter, while Morris initially considered architecture. Burne-Jones designed stained-glass windows to support himself, particularly for Morris's firm, Morris & Co. He drew inspiration from Romantic literature, creating pencil, ink, and watercolour works. Literary themes, especially those of medieval origin, were a constant source for his paintings. He worked with William Morris on projects such as *The Earthly Paradise* and illustrations for the Kelmscott Press, including the Kelmscott Chaucer of 1896. Burne-Jones was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1885, but he resigned in 1893. He became an Associate of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1886 and was created a baronet in 1894.
• Where can I see Edward Burne-Jones's work?+

  Edward Burne-Jones's paintings, stained glass and other works can be viewed in many public collections. In the United Kingdom, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery holds a particularly important collection of his work; this reflects Burne-Jones's Birmingham origins. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London also has a number of pieces, as does the Tate Britain. Wightwick Manor, near Wolverhampton, a National Trust property decorated by the artist's friend William Morris, includes several Burne-Jones paintings and drawings. Outside the UK, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris has examples of his paintings. The Fogg Museum at Harvard University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also hold Burne-Jones works. Many other museums around the world, such as the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, also have pieces in their collections. It is always advisable to check the individual museum's website for current exhibitions and availability of specific works.
• Where was Edward Burne-Jones from?+

  Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham on 28 August 1833. His mother died shortly after his birth, and he was raised in Birmingham by his father. At the age of twenty, Burne-Jones attended Exeter College, Oxford, where he met William Morris. After discovering the writings of John Ruskin, Burne-Jones decided to become a painter, and Morris an architect. Burne-Jones moved to London and befriended Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who gave him drawing lessons. To support himself, Burne-Jones designed stained-glass windows, particularly for Morris & Co. He drew inspiration from Romantic literature, creating pencil, ink, and watercolour drawings. Burne-Jones joined the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and developed a distinctive style, combining Pre-Raphaelitism, Classicism, and Italian Primitivism. He found inspiration in literature, myths, and legends, often of medieval origin. He focused on depicting figures from nature and became a major Pre-Raphaelite painter. Burne-Jones died in London in 1898. A memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey at the request of the Prince of Wales.
• Who did Edward Burne-Jones influence?+

  Burne-Jones had considerable influence on artists who followed him. He kept the Pre-Raphaelite style current in the later 19th century. Some artists painted in a pastiche Pre-Raphaelite style, choosing plaintive, romantic themes with an Italianate air that appealed to aesthetes. Henry Holiday was one such follower; he exhibited *Dante and Beatrice* at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1883, and he also designed stained glass. John Melhuish Strudwick, who had been Burne-Jones's studio assistant, developed a style using mythological and allegorical subjects in a linear manner. Arthur Turrell etched Strudwick’s *A Love Story* in 1889. Two of Strudwick's pictures, *Elaine* and *The Golden Thread*, were issued as photogravures. Sir Frank Dicksee helped bring the Pre-Raphaelite style into the 20th century. John William Waterhouse turned from neoclassicism to a Pre-Raphaelite style, for example with his *St Cecilia* of 1895. Even artists such as Albert Moore, who abandoned the Pre-Raphaelite style, adopted a more fashionable aestheticism.
• Who influenced Edward Burne-Jones?+

  Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham in 1833. He was influenced by a range of artists and movements. Early on, Burne-Jones tried to emulate the Pre-Raphaelites. Dante Gabriel Rossetti was a major influence; Burne-Jones fell under his spell in 1855. In his early work, such as the illustrations for Archibald Maclaren’s *The Fairy Family* (1857), Burne-Jones borrowed from illustrators such as Cruikshank, John Leech, Edward Corbould, and even Turner. As he worked on these illustrations, his style shifted to incorporate the Pre-Raphaelites' ideas. Burne-Jones was also deeply affected by artists of the early Italian Renaissance, such as Sandro Botticelli and Andrea Mantegna. He combined Pre-Raphaelitism, Classicism, and Italian Primitivism, which resulted in a subtle mixture of Romanticism and Symbolism. Burne-Jones met William Morris at Exeter College, Oxford. Morris and Burne-Jones became lifelong friends.
• Who was Edward Burne-Jones?+

  Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) was a British artist and designer closely associated with the second wave of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Born in Birmingham, he initially intended to enter the clergy, but his encounter with the art and writings of John Ruskin and Dante Gabriel Rossetti while at Oxford University redirected him toward art. Burne-Jones worked briefly with Rossetti in London. He developed a distinctive style characterised by romantic, medievalising subjects, often drawn from Arthurian legend, classical mythology, and the Bible. His paintings often feature elongated figures, muted colours, and a dreamlike atmosphere. Important paintings include *The Beguiling of Merlin* (1872-77) and *King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid* (1884). Beyond painting, Burne-Jones was a versatile designer. He created stained glass, furniture, mosaics, and book illustrations. He collaborated extensively with William Morris on decorative projects through Morris & Co., producing designs for churches, private houses, and public buildings. His work influenced the Aesthetic movement and the development of Art Nouveau. He was knighted in 1894.
• Why are Edward Burne-Jones's works important today?+

  Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) was a central figure in the second phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. His paintings and designs offer an important link between Romanticism and the emerging Aestheticism of the late 19th century. Burne-Jones's work is important for several reasons. He helped to revive interest in medieval art and mythology, drawing inspiration from Arthurian legends and classical literature. His style, characterised by elongated figures, muted colours, and a dreamlike atmosphere, had a significant effect on subsequent generations of artists. Figures such as Aubrey Beardsley and illustrators of the Art Nouveau period owe a debt to Burne-Jones's aesthetic. His influence extended beyond painting. Burne-Jones was a prolific designer of stained glass, mosaics, and other decorative arts, often in collaboration with William Morris. These designs contributed to the Arts and Crafts movement's emphasis on craftsmanship and the integration of art into everyday life. Examining Burne-Jones's output provides insight into the cultural values and artistic aspirations of the Victorian era. His exploration of beauty, symbolism, and the human form continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.