Edward Burne-Jones on Nature: Physical and Metaphysical Realms

This volume studies some of Edward Burne-Jones’s paintings, focusing specifically on his approach to nature, both through his observations about the real, physical world and through his symbolic interpretations of earthly and celestial realms. Burne-Jones’s appreciation for natural formations grew from his interests in astronomy and geography, and was expanded by his aesthetic sensibility for physical and metaphysical beauty. His drawings and watercolors carefully recorded the physical world he saw around him. These studies provided the background for a collection of paintings about landscapes with flora and fauna, and ignited an artistic furor that inspired the imagery he used in his allegorical, fantasy, and dream cycles about forests, winding paths, and sweet briar roses. This study focuses on two main ideas: Burne-Jones’s concept of ideal and artificial or magical nature expressed and represented in his drawings and paintings, and the way in which he fused his scientific knowledge about nature with some of the symbolism in his paintings.