DOI Heft:
No. 38 (May, 1896)
DOI Artikel:Studies by Sir Edward Burne-Jones
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17296#0214
Studies by Sir E. Burne-Jones
STUDIES BY SIR EDW \RD nat'on> or under what difficulties of production,
BUPNE IONES t'le Sreat canvas which in our minds makes or
J ' mars his reputation has been produced; but we
Among all the works that an artist may hazard a guess shrewdly enough that the
produces are none which have for experiments through which the picture has been
students of art an interest to equal that possessed built up and completed have been made face to
by the preliminary drawings face with Nature and with
and studies which he exe- ^_______ her hand upon the artist's
cutes as preparatory expres- arm. However much he
sions of the convictions may have selected from
which guide him in the pro- them afterwards, and how-
duction of his larger pictures. : '^^Sw/^-^i •^V'-.-Cik-' ever much he may have
In these more or less tenta- «&**»r ' departed from or varied the
tive efforts he shows his very facts stated in them, it has
thoughts ; he sets down the Z''''CMy^ < been at her PromPting that
ideas and imaginations which these records have been
have influenced him to made. It would have been
attempt the construction of impossible for him to
a monumental composition ; idealise or alter the type
and he puts into visible form ■ n; v . ' J! of a face or figure unless he
the experimental intentions had based his idealisation
which lead him by an elabo- - - ^3*f?^L ll*"**^ \p upon a form which he had
rate process of selection to ' ,, - ,t seen before him; his effects
decide upon the ultimate of colour, of grouping, of
form and character of his light and shade, could not
finished work. In his .'• IVfy. J< • - xJ have been expressed with
studies, in fact, he gathers certainty or adapted to the
the matter without which his ' \\ ' \i# exigencies of his picture
picture could hardly exist, unless he had put them
and he draws from the in- §* down in his studies as he
exhaustible treasury of met with them; the know-
Nature the materials which !:.'7 ^>~^>- ledge of great things and
he combines afterwards to ' / , small which makes the com-
give shape and consistency >-JsBw pleted canvas sufficiently
to his pictorial conception. credible could never have
When he has his picture been acquired save by
before him he is trammelled laborious examination and
by many considerations : he noting of tangible and
has all kinds of externals to visible realities. In a word,
concern himself with and to if his after work is to be
subject himself to. Nature persuasive or convincing, it
can no longer make to him S'(Y'~ < y - can only become so because
her direct and frank appeal, he has been both persuaded
he can only meet her in the ^w. ^^r^ anc^ convinced by Nature
manner that convention pre- -______feed '374 . -—I herself, and because he has
scribes, and can only avail ,, . made in a succession of
' ' design for initial letter " dido s
himself of her aid just so far wedding" by sir e. burne-jones studies full profession of
as he is permitted by the his own conviction,
code of artistic propriety which prevails in the In this, indeed, lies the peculiar instructiveness
world in which he happens to live. of a collection of preliminary drawings such as
For these reasons every opportunity of examin- that which now so adequately represents Sir
ing the sketches and studies of a true artist is in Edward Burne-Jones in the galleries of the Fine
the highest degree valuable. We do not know Art Society. They serve as a summary and signal
under which restrictions of technicality, or desti- of the endless labour which he expends upon the
VII. No. 38.—May, 1896. J99
STUDIES BY SIR EDW \RD nat'on> or under what difficulties of production,
BUPNE IONES t'le Sreat canvas which in our minds makes or
J ' mars his reputation has been produced; but we
Among all the works that an artist may hazard a guess shrewdly enough that the
produces are none which have for experiments through which the picture has been
students of art an interest to equal that possessed built up and completed have been made face to
by the preliminary drawings face with Nature and with
and studies which he exe- ^_______ her hand upon the artist's
cutes as preparatory expres- arm. However much he
sions of the convictions may have selected from
which guide him in the pro- them afterwards, and how-
duction of his larger pictures. : '^^Sw/^-^i •^V'-.-Cik-' ever much he may have
In these more or less tenta- «&**»r ' departed from or varied the
tive efforts he shows his very facts stated in them, it has
thoughts ; he sets down the Z''''CMy^ < been at her PromPting that
ideas and imaginations which these records have been
have influenced him to made. It would have been
attempt the construction of impossible for him to
a monumental composition ; idealise or alter the type
and he puts into visible form ■ n; v . ' J! of a face or figure unless he
the experimental intentions had based his idealisation
which lead him by an elabo- - - ^3*f?^L ll*"**^ \p upon a form which he had
rate process of selection to ' ,, - ,t seen before him; his effects
decide upon the ultimate of colour, of grouping, of
form and character of his light and shade, could not
finished work. In his .'• IVfy. J< • - xJ have been expressed with
studies, in fact, he gathers certainty or adapted to the
the matter without which his ' \\ ' \i# exigencies of his picture
picture could hardly exist, unless he had put them
and he draws from the in- §* down in his studies as he
exhaustible treasury of met with them; the know-
Nature the materials which !:.'7 ^>~^>- ledge of great things and
he combines afterwards to ' / , small which makes the com-
give shape and consistency >-JsBw pleted canvas sufficiently
to his pictorial conception. credible could never have
When he has his picture been acquired save by
before him he is trammelled laborious examination and
by many considerations : he noting of tangible and
has all kinds of externals to visible realities. In a word,
concern himself with and to if his after work is to be
subject himself to. Nature persuasive or convincing, it
can no longer make to him S'(Y'~ < y - can only become so because
her direct and frank appeal, he has been both persuaded
he can only meet her in the ^w. ^^r^ anc^ convinced by Nature
manner that convention pre- -______feed '374 . -—I herself, and because he has
scribes, and can only avail ,, . made in a succession of
' ' design for initial letter " dido s
himself of her aid just so far wedding" by sir e. burne-jones studies full profession of
as he is permitted by the his own conviction,
code of artistic propriety which prevails in the In this, indeed, lies the peculiar instructiveness
world in which he happens to live. of a collection of preliminary drawings such as
For these reasons every opportunity of examin- that which now so adequately represents Sir
ing the sketches and studies of a true artist is in Edward Burne-Jones in the galleries of the Fine
the highest degree valuable. We do not know Art Society. They serve as a summary and signal
under which restrictions of technicality, or desti- of the endless labour which he expends upon the
VII. No. 38.—May, 1896. J99