
Edward Burne-Jones, Study of Faces, Hands and Feet
Photo courtesy of Caroline True (All rights reserved)
Details
- Country House
- Mells Manor
- Title(s)
- Study of Faces, Hands and Feet
- Date
- c.1876
- Medium and support
- Brown crewel on canvas
- Dimensions
- Overall height: 58.4 cm, Overall width: 45.7 cm
- Artist
- Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898)
- Catalogue Number
- MM70
Related catalogue items from Mells Manor
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Mells Manor
Henry Benedict Stuart, later Cardinal York (1725–1807)
circle of Louis Gabriel Blanchet, c.1744
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St George and the Dragon
previously attributed to Cosimo Tura and Michele Pannonio and, Taddeo Crivelli, ? 1460s
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Frances Graham (1854–1940)
Edward Burne-Jones, Signed lower left ‘EBJ’ and dated lower right ‘1875’
Description
By the 1870s and 80s art needlework had become increasingly popular among certain ‘aesthetic’ ladies. Alongside members of her circle, including her sister, Agnes Jekyll, Frances Horner (1854–1940) was involved in the establishment of the Royal School of Needlework, for which Edward Burne-Jones produced designs. In a series of embroideries, Burne-Jones drew a composition on cloth, leaving it to Frances to embroider over his marks. In this way she became able to execute exactly what he designed, producing some enchanting fabric pictures. Notable examples are L’Amor che muove in St Andrew’s Church, Mells, and a large floral embroidery hanging over the fireplace in the Drawing Room at Mells Manor. Other smaller pieces were taken from Burne-Jones’s designs for paintings and stained glass. In these embroideries the faces and hands were left to be painted by the artist himself. The present work, which was untouched by Frances, reveals the first stage of the process.