A seated couple, embracing

Sir Edward Burne-Jones British

Not on view

Burne-Jones likely made this drawing in the mid-1860s when he was sketching the Parthenon marbles at the British Museum, using chalks on colored paper. While a student at Oxford, Burne-Jones and his close friend William Morris decided to give up their theology degrees and instead pursue artistic careers. Since he lacked formal training, Burne-Jones sought advice from Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Ruskin--who lent him prints by Albrecht Dürer to copy--and George Frederic Watts, who advised close study of classical sculpture. Here he develops a figural composition from his interaction with Greek models.

A seated couple, embracing, Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, Birmingham 1833–1898 Fulham), White chalk with touches of graphite on brown paper

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A seated couple, embracing, Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, Birmingham 1833–1898 Fulham), White chalk with touches of graphite on brown paper
A seated couple, embracing, Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, Birmingham 1833–1898 Fulham), White chalk with touches of graphite on brown paper
A seated couple, embracing, Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, Birmingham 1833–1898 Fulham), White chalk with touches of graphite on brown paper

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