Customer Reviews

Sir Edward Burne-Jones Pb (Pre-Raphaelite Painters Series)

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In death, SIR EDWARD BURNE-JONES became the first artist to have funeral services at Westminster Abbey. In life, he put his Oxford University studies in medieval legend and literature to work in Graham piano decorations, King Arthur theatre sets for the Lyceum, and Theatre of London book illustrations. His first decorative work was a Chaucerean design, and his collaboration with William Morris on the Kelmscott Press Illustrated Chaucer was impressive. "Astrologia" shared his favorite sphere motif with "Days of Creation," "Hope," and such portraits as the "Baronne Deslandes." "Golden Stairs" included his recipe for painting success: musical instruments. "Laus Veneris" had the finest of his tapestry-like surface patterns. "Pan and Psyche" was set in one of his typical landscapes: mysteriously dreamlike, with legendary incidents. "Star of Bethlehem" was a watercolor of his "Adoration of the Magi" tapestry: his original stained glass and tapestry designs tended to show up later in paintings. "Temperantia" pioneered his hallmark elaborately folded and wrinkled draperies. But his art also found lighter moments in caricatures and comic sketches, such as his illustrated "Letters to Kate," daughter of lawyer friend George Lewis. Russell Ash's beautifully illustrated, well-written book makes good 19th-century reading with Timothy Hilton's THE PRE-RAPHAELITES, Lionel Lambourne's VICTORIAN PAINTING, Julian Treuherz's VICTORIAN PAINTING, and Malcolm Warner's THE VICTORIANS.

This review is for the more artistic and the less academic. This is a gorgeous oversized book! It contains 40 full color plates as well as a few smaller color and black and white reproductions in the introduction of the book. The colors are exquisite and each of the plates is beautiful enough and of a high enough quality to frame. Burne-Jones is one of my favorites among the PreRaphaelites and he certainly raised the bar with the quality and depth of his artwork. I paid $28.95 and it was well worth every penny. I know that I will look through the book again and again and I have already shared it with several friends.