Edward Burne-Jones exhibition in London

Recently, I visited London for a weekend. Always a treat and lots of things to do and see. I had a special aim for this visit, namely, the Edward Burne-Jones exhibition in Tate Britain. Some years ago I fell in love with the Pre-Raphaelites, and Burne-Jones is one of them. Maybe more diverse in his talents than any of them.

"Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) was one of the key figures in Victorian art, achieving world-wide fame and recognition during his life-time. As the last major figure associated with the Pre-Raphaelites, he led the movement into new symbolist directions where the expression of a mood or idea replaced the earlier focus on providing a realistic description of the natural world. Using myths and legends from the past he created dream-worlds of unparalleled beauty, balancing clarity of observation with dramatically original composition."

Also recognised as a designer, he was one of the founding members of the design collective Morris & Co, for which he designed furniture and stained glass, but he also made designs for tapestry, embroidery, and book illustration. A man of many talents. His paintings are fantastic and cover so many different motives and themes. The exhibitions was well put together in themes and with the audio guide you enter into the world of Edward Burne-Jones. A world difficult to part from.

The Doom Fulfilled, 1888 by
Edward Burne-Jones

A visit to the museum shop, always a treat in England, is a must. I came out with a book and two post cards that I will use as bookmarks. Unfortunately, no specific bookmarks from this exhibition. The book is Penelope Fitzgerald's Edward Burne-Jones, A Life. He was married to Georgina, one of the MacDonald sisters. Four of the five of them married into the history of the Victorian cultural age. Juliet Flanders tells their story in A Circle of Sisters. It is such an interesting part of British history. I am happy I managed to see this exhibition, the very last weekend it was on.

The Wheel of Fortune, 1833 by
Edward Burne-Jones

After the exhibition I ventured up to the 1840s gallery to have a look at the other Pre-Raphaelites, and especially one of my favourite paintings; Sir John Everett Millais's Ophelia. Unfortunately, it was not there. Asking one of the guards I learned that it is on tour for an exhibition in Australia! Lucky you guys, down under! Don't miss it if you have the opportunity to see it.

Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais

The background to this painting, where Millais used Lizzie Siddal, the girlfriend/wife of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, is quite dramatic. You can read all about it and much more in the very interesting Desperate Romantics, The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelies by Franny Moyle. It has also been made into a TV-series.  Further interesting reading about this group of artists and their muses are: Effie by Suzanne Fagence Cooper about Millais's wife Effie, who first married the art critic John Ruskin and was stuck in an unhappy marriage. Also made into a movie. I can also recommend a book about the model above,  Lizzie Siddal - The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel by Lucinda Hawksley.