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The Cumaean Sibyl

November 1, 1882
Not on view
This etching conveys Burne-Jones’s severe conception of the Apollonian priestess at Cumae—a Greek colony near Naples—and belongs to a series he devoted to ancient prophetesses who foretold the coming of Christ. Enveloping dark drapery, bound about the head with a thorny vine, underscores the sibyl’s character while her niche-like setting recalls Renaissance frescoes. This print was the first one based on a Burne-Jones oil painting and points to a significant turning point in his career. Before he became associated with the Grosvenor Gallery, founded by Sir Coutts Lindsay and his wife Blanche in 1877, the artist favored watercolor and gouache. Once assured of a sympathetic exhibition venue, he turned more consistently to oil. The leading Victorian art dealers Thomas Agnew & Sons often published prints of his compositions, providing him with a significant income.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Cumaean Sibyl
  • Artist: After Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, Birmingham 1833–1898 Fulham)
  • Artist: Etched by Charles-Albert Waltner (French, Paris 1846–1925 Paris)
  • Publisher: Thomas Agnew & Sons, Ltd. (London) Manchester and Liverpool
  • Publisher: The Printsellers' Association, London (British, established 1847)
  • Date: November 1, 1882
  • Medium: Etching and drypoint; proof before edition of 250
  • Dimensions: Image: 17 3/16 x 6 7/8 in. (43.6 x 17.4 cm)
    Sheet: 21 7/16 x 16 in. (54.5 x 40.7 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Alice G. Taft, Mrs. Marianna F. Taft, Miss Hope Smith, Mrs. Helen Bradley Head, and Brockholst M. Smith, 1945
  • Object Number: 45.78.76
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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Armed Men, Sir Edward Burne-Jones British, Graphite, heightened with white chalk, on brown paper
Armed Men
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Study of a Female Head, Sir Edward Burne-Jones British, Yellow, red, and green pastel with fabricated black crayon on red paper
Study of a Female Head
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The Summons: Study for the Head of Gawaine, Sir Edward Burne-Jones British, Fabricated black crayon on paper
The Summons: Study for the Head of Gawaine
Sir Edward Burne-Jones
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Summer Snow (in "Good Words for 1863," opp. p. 380)
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Dalziel Brothers
1863
The Deliverer (in "Parables from Nature", opp. p. 205)
Sir Edward Burne-Jones
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1865

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