The Mirror of Venus

1873 · Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon

mythological

A member of the pre-Raphaelite movement that was formed in England in 1848, Sir Edward Burne-Jones became one of the leading figures in a new trend, known as Aestheticism, that emerged in the 1860s. About 1860, Burne-Jones turned to watercolour as his primary medium, and in 1864 he was elected an Associate of the Old Water-Colour Society (OWCS). This brought his work before a wide public for the first time.

Loading map…

About the Artist

Edward Burne-jones

1833 – 1898

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones was an English painter and decorative artist. He was the leading figure in the second phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and he was influenced by the art of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. His paintings of subjects from medieval legend and Classical mythology and his designs for stained glass, tapestry and many other media played an important part in the Aesthetic Movement and the history of international Symbolism. Although his works lacked the social ideals of the Pre-Raphaelites, his mystic, romantic images often represent a world free of industrialism. His paintings are characterized by the influence of Mantegna and Botticelli, but done in a subdued tonal palette.

View all works →