Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August 183317 June 1898) was an English painter and designer associated with the
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossett ...
's style and subject matter.
Burne-Jones worked with
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
as a founding partner in
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co in the design of decorative arts.
His early paintings show the influence of
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...
, but by 1870 he had developed his own style. In 1877, he exhibited eight oil paintings at the
Grosvenor Gallery, a new rival to the
Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
. These included ''
The Beguiling of Merlin''. The timing was right and he was taken up as a herald and star of the new
Aesthetic Movement
Aestheticism (also known as the aesthetic movement) was an art movement in the late 19th century that valued the appearance of literature, music, fonts and the arts over their functions. According to Aestheticism, art should be produced to b ...
.
In the studio of Morris and Co. Burne-Jones worked as a designer of a wide range of crafts including ceramic tiles, jewellery,
tapestries
Tapestry is a form of textile art which was traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Normally it is used to create images rather than patterns. Tapestry is relatively fragile, and difficult to make, so most historical pieces are intended to han ...
, and
mosaic
A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...
s. Among his most significant and lasting designs are those for
stained glass windows the production of which was a revived craft during the 19th century. His designs are still to be found in churches across the UK, with examples in the US and Australia.
Early life
Born Edward Coley Burne Jones (the hyphenation of his last names was introduced later) was born in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, the son of a Welshman, Edward Richard Jones, a frame-maker at
Bennetts Hill, where a
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
commemorates the painter's childhood. A pub on the site of the house is called the ''Briar Rose'' in honour of Burne-Jones' work.
His mother Elizabeth Jones (née Coley) died within six days of his birth, and Edward was raised by his father, and the family housekeeper, Ann Sampson, an obsessively affectionate but humourless, and unintellectual local girl. He attended Birmingham's
King Edward VI grammar school in 1844 and the
Birmingham School of Art from 1848 to 1852, before studying
theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
at
Exeter College, Oxford. At Oxford, he became a friend of
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
as a consequence of a mutual interest in poetry. The two Exeter undergraduates, together with a group of Jones' friends from Birmingham known as the
Birmingham Set, formed a society, which they called "The Brotherhood". The members of the brotherhood read the works of
John Ruskin
John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...
and
Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's ...
, visited churches, and idealised aspects of the aesthetics and social structure of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
.
At this time, Burne-Jones discovered
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'A ...
's ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; Anglo-Norman French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the ...
'' which would become a substantial influential in his life. At that time, neither Burne-Jones nor Morris knew
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...
personally, but both were much influenced by his works, and later met him by recruiting him as a contributor to their ''Oxford and Cambridge Magazine'', founded by Morris in 1856 to promote the Brotherhood’s ideas.
Burne-Jones had intended to become a church minister, but under Rossetti's influence both he and Morris decided to become artists, and Burne-Jones left college before taking a degree to pursue a career in art. In February 1857, Rossetti wrote to
William Bell Scott:
Marriage and family

In 1856 Burne-Jones became engaged to
Georgiana "Georgie" MacDonald (1840–1920), one of the
MacDonald sisters. She was training to be a painter, and was the sister of Burne-Jones's old school friend. The couple married on 9 June 1860, after which she made her own work in
woodcut
Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...
s, and became a close friend of
George Eliot
Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrot ...
. (Another MacDonald sister married the artist Sir
Edward Poynter
Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet (20 March 183626 July 1919) was an English painter, designer, and Drawing, draughtsman, who served as President of the Royal Academy.
Life
Poynter was the son of architect Ambrose Poynter. He was born in P ...
, a further sister married the ironmaster
Alfred Baldwin and was the mother of the Prime Minister
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (3 August 186714 December 1947), was a British statesman and Conservative politician who was prominent in the political leadership of the United Kingdom between the world wars. He was prime ministe ...
, and yet another sister was the mother of
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...
. Kipling and Baldwin were thus Burne-Jones's nephews by marriage).
Georgiana gave birth to a son,
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...
, in 1861. In the winter of 1864, she became gravely ill with
scarlet fever
Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'', a Group A streptococcus (GAS). It most commonly affects children between five and 15 years of age. The signs and symptoms include a sore ...
and gave birth to a second son, Christopher, who died soon thereafter. The family then moved to 41 Kensington Square, and their daughter Margaret was born there in 1866.
In 1867 Burne-Jones and his family settled at the Grange, an 18th-century house set in a garden in
North End, Fulham, London. For the 1870s Burne-Jones did not exhibit, following a number of bitterly hostile attacks in the press, and a passionate affair (described as the "emotional climax of his life") with his Greek model
Maria Zambaco, which ended with her trying to commit
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
by throwing herself into
Regent's Canal.
During these difficult years, Georgiana developed a friendship with Morris, whose wife
Jane had fallen in love with Rossetti. Morris and Georgie may have been in love, but if he asked her to leave her husband, she refused. In the end, the Burne-Joneses remained together, as did the Morrises, but Morris and Georgiana were close for the rest of their lives.
In 1880, the Burne-Joneses bought
Prospect House in
Rottingdean, near
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
in Sussex, as their holiday home and soon after, the next door
Aubrey Cottage to create
North End House, reflecting the fact that their Fulham home was in North End Road. (Years later, in 1923,
Sir Roderick Jones, head of
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency ...
, and his wife, playwright and novelist
Enid Bagnold, were to add the adjacent
Gothic House to the property, which became the inspiration and setting for her play ''
The Chalk Garden'').
His troubled son Philip, who became a successful portrait painter, died in 1926. His adored daughter Margaret (died 1953) married
John William Mackail
John William Mackail (26 August 1859 – 13 December 1945) was a Scottish academic of Oxford University and reformer of the British education system.
He is most often remembered as a scholar of Virgil and as the official biographer of the so ...
(1850–1945), the friend and biographer of Morris, and Professor of Poetry at Oxford from 1911 to 1916. Their children were the novelists
Angela Thirkell and
Denis Mackail, and the youngest, Clare Mackail.
In an edition of the boys' magazine, Chums (No. 227, Vol. V, 13 January 1897), an article on Burne-Jones stated that "....his pet grandson used to be punished by being sent to stand in a corner with his face to the wall. One day on being sent there, he was delighted to find the wall prettily decorated with fairies, flowers, birds, and bunnies. His indulgent grandfather had utilised his talent to alleviate the tedium of his favourite's period of penance."
Artistic career
Early years: Rossetti and Morris
Burne-Jones once admitted that after leaving Oxford he "found himself at five-and-twenty what he ought to have been at fifteen". He had had no regular training as a draughtsman and lacked the confidence of science. But his extraordinary faculty of invention as a designer was already ripening; his mind, rich in knowledge of classical story and medieval romance, teemed with pictorial subjects, and he set himself to complete his set of skills by resolute labour, witnessed by his drawings. The works of this first period are all more or less tinged by the influence of Rossetti; but they are already differentiated from the elder master's style by their more facile though less intensely felt elaboration of imaginative detail. Many are pen-and-ink drawings on
vellum
Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. It is often distinguished from parchment, either by being made from calfskin (rather than the skin of other animals), or simply by being of a higher quality. Vellu ...
, exquisitely finished, of which his ''Waxen Image'' (1856) is one of the earliest and best examples. Although the subject, medium and manner derive from Rossetti's inspiration, it is not the hand of a pupil merely, but of a potential master. This was recognised by Rossetti himself, who before long avowed that he had nothing more to teach him.
Burne-Jones's first sketch in oils dates from this same year, 1856, and during 1857 he made for
Bradfield College the first of what was to be an immense series of cartoons for stained glass. In 1858 he decorated a cabinet with the ''Prioress's Tale'' from
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
's ''
Canterbury Tales
''The Canterbury Tales'' () is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. The book presents the tales, which are mostly written in verse (poetry), verse, as part of a fictional storytellin ...
'', his first direct illustration of the work of a poet whom he especially loved and who inspired him with endless subjects. Thus early, therefore, we see the artist busy in all the various fields in which he was to labour.
In the autumn of 1857 Burne-Jones joined Morris,
Valentine Prinsep,
J. R. Spencer Stanhope and others in Rossetti's ill-fated scheme to
decorate the walls of the
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest unive ...
. None of the painters had mastered the technique of
fresco
Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
, and their pictures had begun to peel from the walls before they were completed. In 1859 Burne-Jones made his first journey to Italy. He saw
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
,
Pisa
Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
,
Siena
Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
,
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
and other places, and appears to have found the gentle and romantic
Sienese more attractive than any other school. Rossetti's influence persisted and is visible, more strongly perhaps than ever before, in the two
watercolours of 1860, ''Sidonia von Bork'' and ''Clara von Bork.''
Both paintings illustrate the 1849
gothic novel
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean ...
''Sidonia the Sorceress'' by
Lady Wilde, a translation of ''Sidonia Von Bork: Die Klosterhexe'' (1847) by Johann Wilhelm Meinhold.
Painting
In 1864, Burne-Jones was elected an associate of the
Society of Painters in Water-Colours—which is known as the Old Water-Colour Society—and exhibited, among other works, ''
The Merciful Knight'', the first picture which fully revealed his ripened personality as an artist. The next six years saw a series of fine watercolours at the same gallery.
In 1866, Mrs. Cassavetti commissioned Burne-Jones to paint her daughter,
Maria Zambaco, in ''Cupid finding Psyche'', an introduction which led to their tragic affair. In 1870, Burne-Jones resigned his membership following a controversy over his painting ''Phyllis and Demophoön''.'' ''The features of Maria Zambaco were clearly recognisable in the barely draped Phyllis, and the undraped nakedness of Demophoön coupled with the suggestion of female sexual assertiveness offended
Victorian sensibilities. Burne-Jones was asked to make a slight alteration, but instead "withdrew not only the picture from the walls, but himself from the Society". During the next seven years, 1870–1877, only two works of the painter's were exhibited. These were two water-colours, shown at the Dudley Gallery at the
Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly in 1873, one of them being the beautiful ''
Love Among the Ruins'', destroyed twenty years later by a cleaner who supposed it to be an oil painting, but afterwards reproduced in oils by the painter. This silent period was one of unremitting production.
Hitherto, Burne-Jones had worked almost entirely in watercolours. He now began pictures in oils, working at them in turn, and having them on hand. The first ''Briar Rose'' series, ''Laus Veneris,'' the ''Golden Stairs,'' the ''Pygmalion'' series, and ''The Mirror of Venus'' are among the works planned and completed, or carried far towards completion, during these years.
The beginnings of Burne-Jones' partnership with the fine-art photographer
Frederick Hollyer
Frederick Hollyer (17 June 1838 – 21 November 1933) was an English photographer and engraving, engraver known for his photographic reproductions of paintings and drawings, particularly those of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and for portrait ...
, whose reproductions of paintings and—especially—drawings would expose an audience to Burne-Jones's works in the coming decades, began during this period.
At last, in May 1877, the day of recognition came with the opening of the first exhibition of the
Grosvenor Gallery, when the ''Days of Creation,'' ''
The Beguiling of Merlin,'' and the ''Mirror of Venus'' were all shown. Burne-Jones followed up the signal success of these pictures with ''Laus Veneris,'' the ''Chant d'Amour,'' ''Pan and Psyche,'' and other works, exhibited in 1878. Most of these pictures are painted in brilliant colours.
A change is noticeable in 1879 in the ''Annunciation'' and in the four pictures making up the second series of ''Pygmalion and the Image''; the former of these, one of the simplest and most perfect of the artist's works, is subdued and sober; in the latter, a scheme of soft and delicate tints was attempted, not with entire success. A similar temperance of colours marks ''
The Golden Stairs,'' first exhibited in 1880.
The almost sombre ''
Wheel of Fortune'' was shown in 1883, followed in 1884 by ''
King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid,'' in which Burne-Jones once more indulged his love of gorgeous colour, refined by the period of self-restraint. He next turned to two important sets of pictures, ''The Briar Rose'' and ''The Story of Perseus,'' although these were not completed.
Decorative arts
In 1861, William Morris founded the
decorative arts
]
The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose aim is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. This includes most of the objects for the interiors of buildings, as well as interior design, but typically excl ...
firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. with Rossetti, Burne-Jones,
Ford Madox Brown
Ford Madox Brown (16 April 1821 – 6 October 1893) was a British painter of moral and historical subjects, notable for his distinctively graphic and often William Hogarth, Hogarthian version of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Arguably, his mos ...
and Philip Webb as partners, together with
Charles Faulkner and
Peter Paul Marshall, the former of whom was a member of the Oxford Brotherhood, and the latter a friend of Brown and Rossetti.
The prospectus set forth that the firm would undertake carving,
stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
, metal-work, paper-hangings,
chintz
Chintz () is a woodblock printed, painted, stained or glazed calico textile that originated in Golconda (present day Hyderabad, India) in the 16th century. The cloth is printed with designs featuring flowers and other patterns in different colo ...
es (printed fabrics), and
carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of Pile (textile), pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fiber, synthetic fibres such as polyprop ...
s.
The decoration of churches was from the first an important part of the business. The work shown by the firm at the
1862 International Exhibition
The International Exhibition of 1862, officially the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art, also known as the Great London Exposition, was a world's fair held from 1 May to 1 November 1862 in South Kensington, London, England. Th ...
attracted notice, and later it was flourishing. Two significant secular commissions helped establish the firm's reputation in the late 1860s: a royal project at
St. James's Palace and the "green dining room" at the South Kensington Museum (now the
Victoria and Albert) of 1867 which featured stained glass windows and panel figures by Burne-Jones.
In 1871 Morris & Co. were responsible for the windows at
All Saints, designed by Burne-Jones for
Alfred Baldwin, his wife's brother-in-law. The firm was reorganised as Morris & Co. in 1875, and Burne-Jones continued to contribute designs for stained glass and later tapestries until the end of his career. Nine windows designed by him and made by Morris & Co were installed in Holy Trinity Church in Frome.
Stained glass windows in the
Christ Church cathedral and other buildings in
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
are by Morris & Co. with designs by Burne-Jones.
[Edward Burne-Jones](_blank)
Southgate Green Association "His work included both stained-glass windows for Christ Church in Oxford and the stained glass windows for Christ Church on Southgate Green."
University of Texas
Other windows are in
St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham,
Church of St Editha, Tamworth,
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...
,
St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham,
Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square, Chelsea, St Peter and St Paul parish church in
Cromer
Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the North Norfolk district of the county of Norfolk, England. It is north of Norwich, northwest of North Walsham and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline.
The local ...
,
St Martin's Church in
Brampton
Brampton is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#L ...
,
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
(the church designed by
Philip Webb
Philip Speakman Webb (12 January 1831 – 17 April 1915) was a British architect and designer sometimes called the Father of Arts and Crafts Architecture. His use of vernacular architecture demonstrated his commitment to "the art of common ...
),
St Michael's Church, Brighton,
Trinity Church in
Frome,
All Saints, Jesus Lane,
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
,
St Edmund Hall
St Edmund Hall (also known as The Hall and Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university" and was the last ...
,
St Anne's Church, Brown Edge, Staffordshire Moorlands,
Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church, Glasgow and St Edward the Confessor church at Cheddleton Staffordshire.
Stanmore Hall was the last major decorating commission executed by Morris & Co. before Morris's death in 1896. It was the most extensive commission undertaken by the firm, and included a series of tapestries based on the story of the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...
for the dining room, with figures by Burne-Jones.
In 1891 Jones was elected a member of the
Art Workers Guild.
Illustration
Although known primarily as a painter, Burne-Jones was active as an illustrator, helping the Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic to enter mainstream awareness. He designed books for the
Kelmscott Press between 1892 and 1898. His illustrations appeared in the following books, among others:
* ''The Fairy Family'' by
Archibald MacLaren (1857)
* ''
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam'' by William Morris (1872)
* ''
The Earthly Paradise'' by William Morris (not completed)
* ''The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer'' by
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
(1896)
* ''Bible Gallery'' by
Dalziel (1881)
Design for the theatre
In 1894, theatrical manager and actor
Henry Irving
Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...
commissioned Burne-Jones to design sets and costumes for the
Lyceum Theatre production of ''King Arthur'' by
J. Comyns Carr, who was Burne-Jones's patron and the director of the New Gallery as well as a playwright. The play starred Irving as
King Arthur
According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
and
Ellen Terry as
Guinevere
Guinevere ( ; ; , ), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First mentioned in literature in the early 12th cen ...
, and toured America following its London run. Burne-Jones accepted the commission with enthusiasm, but was disappointed with much of the final result. He wrote confidentially to his friend Helen Mary Gaskell (known as May), "The armour is good—they have taken pains with it ... Perceval looked the one romantic thing in it ... I hate the stage, don't tell—but I do."
Aesthetics
Burne-Jones's paintings were one strand in the evolving tapestry of
Aestheticism from the 1860s through the 1880s, which considered that art should be valued as an object of beauty engendering a sensual response, rather than for the story or moral implicit in the subject matter. In many ways, this was antithetical to the ideals of Ruskin and the early Pre-Raphaelites. Burne-Jones's aim in art is best given in his own words, written to a friend:
I mean by a picture a beautiful, romantic dream of something that never was, never will be – in a light better than any light that ever shone – in a land no one can define or remember, only desire – and the forms divinely beautiful – and then I wake up, with the waking of Brynhild.
Final years
Burne-Jones was elected an Associate of the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
in 1885, and the following year he exhibited uniquely at the Academy, showing ''The Depths of the Sea,'' a painting of a mermaid carrying down with her a youth whom she has unconsciously drowned in the impetuosity of her love. This picture adds to the habitual haunting charm a tragic irony of conception and a felicity of execution which give it a place apart among Burne-Jones's works. He formally resigned his Associateship in 1893.
One of the ''Perseus'' series was exhibited in 1887 and two more in 1888, with ''The Brazen Tower,'' inspired by the same legend. In 1890 the second series of ''
The Legend of Briar Rose'' were exhibited by themselves and won admiration. The huge watercolour, ''
The Star of Bethlehem,'' painted for the corporation of Birmingham, was exhibited in 1891.
A long illness for a time checked the painter's activity, which, when resumed, was much occupied with decorative schemes. An exhibition of his work was held at the
New Gallery in the winter of 1892–1893. To this period belong his comparatively few portraits.
In 1894, Burne-Jones was made a
baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
. Ill health again interrupted the progress of his works, chief among which was the vast ''
Arthur in Avalon''. William Morris died in 1896, and the health of Burne-Jones declined substantially after. In 1898 he suffered an attack of
influenza
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...
, and had apparently recovered when he was again taken suddenly ill and died on 17 June 1898.
His memorial service was held six days later, at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
. His ashes were interred in the churchyard at
St Margaret's Church, Rottingdean, a place he knew through summer family holidays. In the winter following his death, a second exhibition of his works was held at the New Gallery, and an exhibition of his drawings at the
Burlington Fine Arts Club.
Honours

In 1881 Burne-Jones received an honorary degree from
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, and was made an Honorary Fellow in 1882.
In 1885 he became the President of the
Birmingham Society of Artists. At about that time, he began hyphenating his name, merely—as he wrote later—to avoid "annihilation" in the mass of Joneses. In November 1893, he was approached to see if he would accept a Baronetcy on the recommendation of the outgoing Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party.
In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
, the following February he legally changed his name to Burne-Jones. He was formally created a
baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
of Rottingdean, in the county of Sussex, and of the Grange, in the parish of Fulham, in the county of London, in the
baronetage of the United Kingdom
Baronets are hereditary titles awarded by the Crown. The current baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier, existing baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland and Great Britain.
To be recognised as a baronet, it is necessary ...
on 3 May 1894, but remained unhappy about accepting the honour, which disgusted his socialist friend Morris and was scorned by his equally socialist wife Georgiana. Only his son Philip, who mixed with the set of the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
and would inherit the title, truly wanted it. Burne-Jones was made an elected member of the
Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium in 1897.
Following Burne-Jones' death, and at the intervention of the Prince of Wales, his memorial service was held at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
. It was the first time an artist had been so honoured.
Influence
Burne-Jones exerted a considerable influence on French painting. He was influential among French
symbolist painters, from 1889.
His work inspired poetry by
Algernon Charles Swinburne – Swinburne's 1866 ''Poems & Ballads'' is dedicated to Burne-Jones.
Three of Burne-Jones's studio assistants,
John Melhuish Strudwick, T. M. Rooke and
Charles Fairfax Murray, went on to successful painting careers. Murray later became an important collector and respected
art dealer. Between 1903 and 1907 he sold a great many works by Burne-Jones and the
Pre-Raphaelites to the
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, at far below their market worth. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery now has the largest collection of works by Burne-Jones in the world, including the massive watercolour ''Star of Bethlehem'', commissioned for the Gallery in 1897. The paintings are believed by some to have influenced the young
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...
, then growing up in Birmingham.
Burne-Jones was also a very strong influence on the
Birmingham Group of artists, from the 1890s onwards.
Neglect and rediscovery
On 16 June 1933, Prime Minister
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (3 August 186714 December 1947), was a British statesman and Conservative politician who was prominent in the political leadership of the United Kingdom between the world wars. He was prime ministe ...
, a nephew of Burne-Jones, officially opened the centenary exhibition featuring Burne-Jones's drawings and paintings at the
Tate Gallery in London. In his opening speech at the exhibition, Baldwin expressed what the art of Burne-Jones stood for:
But, in fact, long before 1933, Burne-Jones had fallen out of fashion in the art world, much of which soon preferred the major trends in
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...
, and the exhibit marking the 100th anniversary of his birth was a sad affair, poorly attended. It was not until the mid-1970s that his work began to be re-assessed and once again acclaimed, following the publication of
Martin Harrison and Bill Waters' 1973 monograph and reappraisal 'Burne-Jones'. In 1975, author
Penelope Fitzgerald published a biography of Burne-Jones, her first book. A major exhibit in 1989 at the
Barbican Art Gallery, London (in book form as: John Christian, ''The Last Romantics'', 1989), traced Burne-Jones's influence on the subsequent generation of artists, and another at
Tate Britain in 1997 explored the links between British Aestheticism and Symbolism.
A second, lavish centenary exhibit – this time marking the 100th anniversary of Burne-Jones's death – was held at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
in New York in 1998, before travelling to the
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) () is a museum in Paris, France, on the Rive Gauche, Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts railway station built from 1898 to 1900. The museum holds mai ...
, Paris.
Fiona MacCarthy, in a review of Burne-Jones's legacy, notes that he was "a painter who, while quintessentially Victorian, leads us forward to the psychological and sexual introspection of the early twentieth century".
Tate: "A Visionary Oddity: Fiona MacCarthy on Edward Burne-Jones"
/ref>
Gallery
Stained and painted glass
File:Edward Burne-Jones Daniel 1873.jpg, Cartoon for ''Daniel'' window, St. Martin's-on-the-Hill, Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...
, 1873
File:Boston Trinity Church 04.jpg, Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
' Nativity windows, 1882, Trinity Church, Boston
File:USA Massachusetts Boston Trinity Nativity-window.jpg, ''The Worship of the Magi
Magi (), or magus (), is the term for priests in Zoroastrianism and earlier Iranian religions. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. Old Per ...
'' window, 1882, Trinity Church, Boston
File:USA Massachusetts Boston Trinity-Nativity-detail-2.jpg, ''The Worship of the Shepherds'' window, 1882, Trinity Church, Boston
File:Burnejoneswindow.jpg, Nativity scene in St Mary's Church, Huish Episcopi, Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
File:David Burne-Jones.jpg, ''David'', 1872, in St Michael and All Angels, Waterford, Hertfordshire
File:Miriam Burne-Jones.jpg, ''Miriam'', 1872, in St Michael and All Angels, Waterford, Hertfordshire
File:E.Burne-Jones Justice St.Andrew&St.Paul.jpg, ''Justice'', Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, Montreal
File:E.Burne-Jones Miriam St.Giles.jpg, ''Miriam'', 1886, in St Giles' Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral (), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended until the early 16th century; ...
, Edinburgh
File:Salvator Mundi Burne-Jones.jpg, ''Christ as Salvator Mundi'', 1896, in St Michael and All Angels, Waterford, Hertfordshire
File:St Cecilia narthex.jpg, St. Cecilia window, Second Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Illinois
File:Staveley crucifixion.jpg, Crucifixion
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
window in St James's Church, Staveley, Cumbria
File:Staveley angel playing harp.JPG, Angel window in St. James's Church, Staveley, Cumbria
File:Old West Kirk EBJ Faith.jpg, ''Faith'' in the Old West Kirk, Greenock
File:Old West Kirk EBJ Music.jpg, ''Music'' in the Old West Kirk, Greenock
File:Bellringers 003.jpg, St Agnes of Rome and Catherine of Alexandria, St Paul, Irton
File:St Germans Priory east window by Edward Burne Jones.jpg, East window, 1896, St Germans Priory, Cornwall
File:BJ Troutbeck.jpg, ''The Ascension'', 1898, Jesus Church, Troutbeck, Cumbria
Drawings
File:Edward Burne-Jones The Knights Farewell.jpg, ''The Knight's Farewell'', pen-and-ink on vellum, 1858
File:Edward Burne-Jones Going to the Battle 1858.jpg, ''Going to the Battle'', pen-and-ink with grey wash on vellum, 1858
File:Dalziel Brothers after Edward Burne-Jones King Sigurd 1862.png, ''King Sigurd'', wood-engraving by the Dalziel Bros. after a pen-and-ink drawing, 1862
File:Burne-Jones Ignacy Jan Paderewski.jpg, ''Portrait of Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (; r 1859– 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist, composer and statesman who was a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the nation's Prime Minister of Poland, prime minister and foreign minister durin ...
'', 1892
Paintings
Early works
File:Edward Burne-Jones - The Merciful Knight.jpg, '' The Merciful Knight'', 1863
File:Burne ,Princess Sabra Led to the Dragon.jpg, ''The Princess Sabra Led to the Dragon,'' 1866
File:Edward Burne-Jones Maria Zambaco 1870.jpg, ''Portrait of Maria Zambaco'', 1870
File:Edward Burne-Jones Phyllis and Demophoon 1870.jpg, ''Phyllis and Demophoön'', 1870
File:Edward Burne-Jones Temperantia 1872.jpg, ''Temperantia'', 1872
''Pygmalion'' ''(first series)''
File:The Heart Desires, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones).jpg, '' The Heart Desires'', 1868–1870
File:The Hand Refrains, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones)i.jpg, '' The Hand Refrains'', 1868–1870
File:The Godhead Fires, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones).jpg, '' The Godhead Fires'', 1868–1870
File:The Soul Attains, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones).jpg, '' The Soul Attains'', 1868–1870
'' Pygmalion and the Image'' ''(second series)''
File:The Heart Desires, 2nd series, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones).jpg, '' The Heart Desires'', 1878
File:The Hand Refrains, 2nd series, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones).jpg, '' The Hand Refrains'', 1878
File:The Godhead Fires, 2nd series, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones).jpg, '' The Godhead Fires'', 1878
File:The Soul Attains, 2nd series, Pygmalion (Burne-Jones).jpg, '' The Soul Attains'', 1878
The Grosvenor Gallery years
File:Edward Burne-Jones Pan and Psyche.jpg, ''Pan and Psyche'', 1874
File:Edward Burne-Jones - An Angel Playing a Flageolet.jpg, ''An Angel Playing a Flageolet'', 1878
File:Edward Burne-Jones The Annunciation.jpg, ''The Annunciation'', 1879
File:Burnejones3.jpg, ''The Angel'', 1881
File:The Mill by Edward Burne-Jones.jpg, ''The Mill'', 1882
File:Edward Burne-Jones - King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid - Google Art Project.jpg, '' King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid'', 1884
''The Legend of Briar Rose'' ''(second series)''
File:Briar Wood Buscot Park.jpg, ''The Briar Wood'', completed 1890
File:The Council Chamber Buscot Park.jpg, ''The Council Chamber'', 1890
File:The Garden Court Buscot Park.jpg, ''The Garden Court'', 1890
File:The Rose Bower Buscot Park.jpg, ''The Rose Bower'', 1890
Later works
File:Burne-Jones, Edward - The Garden of Pan - 1886-1887.jpg, '' The Garden of Pan'', 1886-87, National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and list of most visited art museums in the world, most visited art mu ...
, Melbourne
File:Edward Burne-Jones - Perseus.jpeg, ''The Doom Fulfilled'', 1888 (Perseus
In Greek mythology, Perseus (, ; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of ...
Cycle 7)
File:If looks could kill.jpg, ''The Baleful Head'', 1887 (Perseus Cycle 8)
File:Edward Burne-Jones Star of Bethlehem.jpg, '' The Star of Bethlehem'', 1890
File:Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones - Vespertina Quies - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Vespertina Quies'', 1893
File:Burne-jones-love-among-the-ruins.jpg, '' Love Among the Ruins'', 1873
File:Burne-Jones Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon v2.jpg, ''The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon
''The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon'' is a painting by the English artist Edward Burne-Jones, started in 1881. The massive painting measures 279 cm × 650 cm, and is widely considered to be Burne-Jones's ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''.Wa ...
'' 1881–1898
Decorative arts
File:Rubaiyat Morris Burne-Jones Manuscript.jpg, Illuminated manuscript of the '' Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam'' by William Morris, illustrated by Burne-Jones with a variant of '' Love Among the Ruins'', 1870s
File:Holy Grail Tapestry -The Arming and Departure of the Kniights.jpg, ''The Arming and Departure of the Knights'', one of the Holy Grail tapestries, 1890s, figures by Burne-Jones.
File:Kelmscott Troilus.jpg, A page from the Kelmscott ''Chaucer'', decoration by Morris and illustration by Burne-Jones, 1896
Theatre
File:Carrcraven7.jpg, Scene from ''King Arthur'', sets by Burne-Jones, 1895
File:Ellen Terry as Guinevere costume by Burne-Jones.jpg, Ellen Terry as Guinevere, costume by Burne-Jones, 1894
Photographs
File:Frederick Hollyer Morris and Burne-Jones Families 1874.jpg, The Burne-Jones and Morris families in the garden at the Grange, 1874, photograph by Frederick Hollyer
Frederick Hollyer (17 June 1838 – 21 November 1933) was an English photographer and engraving, engraver known for his photographic reproductions of paintings and drawings, particularly those of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and for portrait ...
File:Frederick Hollyer portrait of Edward Burne-Jones c1882.jpg, Edward Burne-Jones, c. 1882 (Hollyer)
File:Frederick Hollyer portrait of Georgiana Burne-Jones c1882.jpg, Georgiana Burne-Jones, c. 1882 (Hollyer)
File:Frederick Hollyer Garden Studio at the Grange 1887.jpg, Burne-Jones's garden studio at the Grange, 1887 (Hollyer)
See also
* List of paintings by Edward Burne-Jones
* ''The Flower Book''
Stained Glass Designs for the Vinland House, 1881
References
;Notes
;Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
* Clarke, Brian (2011). ''Burne-Jones: Vast acres and fleeting ecstasies''. ''The Journal of Stained Glass'', Vol. XXXV. The British Society of Master Glass Painters.
* Arscott, Caroline. ''William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones: Interlacings'', (New Haven and London: Yale University Press (Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art), 2008). .
*
Volume I
an
Volume II
(1911 reprint)
*
* Marsh, Jan, ''Jane and May Morris: A Biographical Story 1839–1938'', London, Pandora Press, 1986 .
* Marsh, Jan, ''Jane and May Morris: A Biographical Story 1839–1938'' (updated edition, privately published by author), London, 2000.
*
*
*
*
External links
Online Burne-Jones Catalogue Raisonné
*
*
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060328043558/http://www.artmagick.com/exhibitions/exhibition.aspx?id=360 The Age of Rossetti, Burne-Jones and Watts: Symbolism in Britain 1860–1910Online version of exhibit at the Tate Britain 16 October 19974 January 1998, with 100 works by Burne-Jones, at Art Magick
Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery's Pre-Raphaelite Online Resource
Large online collection of the works of Edward Burne Jones
Lady Lever Art Gallery
Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon'' (1881)
in th
Museo de Arte de Ponce
Pre-Raphaelite online resource project website
at the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery, with about a thousand paintings on canvas and works on paper by Edward Burne-Jones
Burne-Jones Stained Glass Windows in Cumbria
The Pre-Raphaelite Church – Brampton
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070624142247/http://www.church.speldhurst.org/glass%201.asp Speldhurst Church
Phryne's list of pictures in public galleries in the UK
at the University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...
Libraries. Personal papers of a Burne-Jones scholar.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burne-Jones, Edward
1833 births
1898 deaths
19th-century English painters
English male painters
English stained glass artists and manufacturers
Pre-Raphaelite painters
Christian artists
Artists from Birmingham, West Midlands
People from Fulham
Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham
Associates of the Royal Academy
Members of the Royal Academy of Belgium
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Artists' Rifles soldiers
Morris & Co.
Alumni of the Birmingham School of Art
Burne-Jones family
English mosaic artists
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Artists awarded knighthoods
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