Woman with violin after Burne -Jones, watercolour
Date
1880-1910
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
152mm x 346mm
Scope and content
Watercolour on paper, probably a design for embroidery showing a red-headed woman in a blue classical style dress holding a violin and bow, on a staircase. In the background is a large potted plant in a red pot.
The figure takes inspiration from 'The Golden Stairs', one of the best-known paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. It depicted many of the young women who were in, or adjacent to, the social circle of the Royal School of Art Needlework and the wider Arts and Crafts and Aesthetics Movements, including Mary Stuart-Wortley, whose sister Caroline designed for the RSAN, and May Morris. The original showed a group of young women carrying musical instruments descending a spiralling staircase, dressed in classically inspired robes in tones of white.
In the early years of the Royal School of Art Needlework Edward Burne-Jones was one of a number of artists involved in providing designs for the school to embroider. His designs for Música and Poesis, were first acquired for the use of the school in 1875 by Princess Helena and patron and artist Mrs. Madeline Wyndham. He also provided the figure of Pomona for a design in collaboration with William Morris who designed the background. That design was embroidered and exhibited in Chicago in 1893. A continued connection to Burne-Jones's work can be seen in the schools library and photographic collection and it is likely that this drawing was inspired by prints or photographs of 'The Golden Stairs'.
The figure takes inspiration from 'The Golden Stairs', one of the best-known paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. It depicted many of the young women who were in, or adjacent to, the social circle of the Royal School of Art Needlework and the wider Arts and Crafts and Aesthetics Movements, including Mary Stuart-Wortley, whose sister Caroline designed for the RSAN, and May Morris. The original showed a group of young women carrying musical instruments descending a spiralling staircase, dressed in classically inspired robes in tones of white.
In the early years of the Royal School of Art Needlework Edward Burne-Jones was one of a number of artists involved in providing designs for the school to embroider. His designs for Música and Poesis, were first acquired for the use of the school in 1875 by Princess Helena and patron and artist Mrs. Madeline Wyndham. He also provided the figure of Pomona for a design in collaboration with William Morris who designed the background. That design was embroidered and exhibited in Chicago in 1893. A continued connection to Burne-Jones's work can be seen in the schools library and photographic collection and it is likely that this drawing was inspired by prints or photographs of 'The Golden Stairs'.
Transcription
27
Reference code
D4/19
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