I've taken an unexpected and rather prolonged blogging break! Things got rather busy all of a sudden - some of it planned but most of it unexpected. I thought I ought to pop by with a post, albeit a small one, just to keep things ticking over here...
A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading a biography of Edward Burne-Jones called The Last Pre-Raphaelite by Fiona McCarthy. As you may know from one of my posts a while ago, Burne-Jones is one of my favourite artists and so I thought it was worth sitting down and finding up a bit more about him.
The book mentioned this series of small paintings he did for The Flower Book, begun in 1882. He did the watercolours for his own enjoyment, rather than as a commission, using the common names of flowers as the inspiration for each scene. This concept definitely spoke to my imagination and, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to find all the images when I got home from reading in the park.
So I thought I would share just a few of them here in a post. It seemed appropriate with spring having arrived, with flowers and trees all coming back to life, and with Easter just around the corner. As well, it's a harbinger of next weekend, when I'm off to see Burne-Jones' Briar Rose series at Buscot Park in Oxfordshire with a couple of my best friends. I've wanted to see those paintings for quite some time so I'm very excited! Expect to read about it all soon...
I love the Pre-Raphaelites! Thank you for sharing this read. I've literally been thinking about how devoid my reading list is from anything art or history related since I finished up university. Happy Spring!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I enjoyed reading it but I have to say that Burne-Jones seems more interesting as a character for the people he knew and what was going on around him, rather than a terribly exciting person in and of himself. He was just a wonderful artist but not one with a desperately Romantic and riveting life!
DeleteOh bliss! What a delightful starting point for the imagination; using the common names of flowers to inspire scenes. I'm quite taken with where his imagination took Mr Burne-Jones. It makes me wonder where others would go with the same names. Your selection is wondrous and appropriate, and I think I will now look further, as you did. I love that you were reading in the park; it adds Romance. I look forward to a post on your excursion with your dear friends too. Thank you Miss Marie and Mr Burne-Jones.
ReplyDeleteIt would indeed be fun to see different artists' spin on the same theme (and to have a go at it oneself). And the park is my favourite place to read... when the weather permits!
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