Edward Burne-Jones

Burne-Jones developed a highly idealized style that differs from the detailed naturalism associated with the earliest Pre-Raphaelite painters. His mature works frequently appear to belong to a world outside ordinary time.

His figures are often elongated and graceful. Their expressions tend to be contemplative rather than dramatically animated. Even moments of considerable narrative importance can possess an unusual stillness.

Medieval art remained an important source throughout his career. He also studied Italian Renaissance painting closely. Botticelli and Mantegna contributed to his developing interest in linear rhythm and carefully constructed figures.

Burne-Jones was equally comfortable designing paintings, watercolors, stained glass, and tapestries. The requirements of decorative art encouraged strong outlines and compositions that could be translated into different materials.

Landscape and architecture frequently contribute to the dreamlike character of his work. Natural forms may be carefully observed, but they are reorganized into ideal settings rather than presented as ordinary Victorian surroundings.

This combination of medievalism, Renaissance influence, and imaginative design eventually moved Burne-Jones beyond early Pre-Raphaelitism toward the Symbolist art that emerged near the end of the nineteenth century.

Biblical and Christian imagery remained important to Burne-Jones even after he abandoned his original intention of entering the church. Religious subjects appear throughout his paintings and decorative designs.

His long association with Morris & Co. was particularly significant. Burne-Jones designed numerous figures and scenes for stained-glass windows installed in churches. Biblical imagery therefore became part of architectural spaces intended for worship rather than remaining confined to galleries or private collections.

Burne-Jones generally did not attempt archaeological reconstruction of the biblical world. His figures inhabit an idealized environment shaped by medieval and Renaissance art.

The Star of Bethlehem is his most monumental treatment of a Gospel narrative. The painting presents the visit of the Magi described in Matthew 2. Mary sits with the infant Jesus while Joseph stands nearby and the visitors approach with their gifts.

Burne-Jones adds an angel holding a supernatural light that represents the star. Matthew describes the star guiding the Magi but does not describe an angel carrying it. The figure is therefore an artistic interpretation rather than a detail from the Gospel text.

The Magi themselves demonstrate another distinction between Scripture and later artistic tradition. Matthew does not state that there were three visitors and does not call them kings. The familiar group of three kings developed through later Christian interpretation, partly from the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

This makes The Star of Bethlehem particularly useful for A Visit With Jesus. Visitors can compare Matthew's account with the visual traditions Burne-Jones inherited and immediately distinguish biblical information from later iconography.

Burne-Jones also created many designs of individual biblical figures. Prophets, apostles, angels, David, and other scriptural characters appear in his stained glass and decorative work.

Not all of his religious subjects are biblical. Saints, legends, and later Christian traditions also occupy an important place in his work. These should be distinguished from direct scriptural subjects when individual artworks are cataloged.

For A Visit With Jesus, Burne-Jones offers an additional advantage because his work expands the meaning of biblical art beyond paintings. Stained glass and tapestry demonstrate how Scripture entered the physical environment of nineteenth-century churches through the collaboration of artists, designers, and craftsmen.

The Star of Bethlehem (1890) — A monumental watercolor depicting the visit of the Magi described in Matthew 2. Burne-Jones represents the guiding star as a brilliant light carried by an angel.

The Adoration of the Magi — Burne-Jones developed the subject for tapestry through Morris & Co. The design presents the Magi approaching Mary and the Christ Child within a richly decorative setting.

King David the Poet — A stained-glass design presenting the biblical king as musician and psalmist. Burne-Jones created numerous designs of biblical figures for ecclesiastical settings.

The Annunciation — Burne-Jones treated Gabriel's announcement to Mary in paintings and decorative designs. His interpretations emphasize the stillness of the encounter rather than dramatic action.

The Nativity — The birth of Jesus appeared repeatedly in Burne-Jones's designs for stained glass and other decorative media.

The Crucifixion — Burne-Jones produced designs of the Crucifixion for ecclesiastical settings, translating the central event of the Passion into the strong outlines required by stained glass.

The Tree of Forgiveness — A mythological rather than biblical work. Its inclusion among Burne-Jones's major paintings is useful as a reminder that much of his mature art drew from classical and medieval sources rather than Scripture.

Tate, Edward Burne-Jones exhibition and collection research; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy and Burne-Jones collection research; Birmingham Museums Trust, Edward Burne-Jones and The Star of Bethlehem; Victoria and Albert Museum, Burne-Jones and Morris & Co. collection research.