Study of a Girl, probably Maria Zambaco
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898)
Category
Art / Drawings and watercolours
Date
1866
Materials
Red chalk on textured paper
Measurements
480 x 340 mm
Order this imageCollection
Wightwick Manor, West Midlands
NT 1287916
Summary
Red chalk drawing on textured paper, Study of a Young Woman, probably Maria Zambaco by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898), late 1866. A half-length portrait of a girl in profile, looking over right shoulder, wearing hair tied back and puffed sleeved dress. This drawing is one of the fine classical studies in the chalk technique characteristic of Burne-Jones' work in the 1860s from Miss Crawshay's collection. He used it both for figure studies for paintings such as those for Green Summer of circa 1864 (Birmingham Art Gallery) and in highly finished drawings such as this, in what Stephen Wildman describes as "this style of soft chalk on fairly heavy paper, which gives a rich grainy texture to shadows and background." This and the other drawings reflect Burne-Jones' growing interest in Italian Renaissance and classical art, especially after his second visit to Italy in 1862. Compositions and treatment of details, notably drapery, derive from his studies of Renaissance painting and Greek and Roman sculpture. The unusual composition, from the side with the face turned over the raised right arm and shoulder, is similar to that of the Study of a Girl (with puffed sleeves) [WIG/D/ 50, Great Parlour] and Study of a young woman [WIG/D/ 98, Honeysuckle Room], and the drapery which gives the drawing a strong decorative quality is inspired by classical sources. Part of a group of sketches and studies of Maria Zambaco made in connection with Cupid delivering Psyche, 1866/67, on long term loan to Leighton House. The sitter herself was an artist and lter became a successful sculptor.
Full description
The haunting face commands attention. It is almost certainly Maria Zambaco (1843 – 1914): the drawing bears a very strong resemblance to other known pictures of her by Burne-Jones. The troubled expression, characteristic of all her portraits, is aptly described by Penelope Fitzgerald "as of something that has been unjustly hurt". Burne-Jones wrote: "It was a wonderful head, neither profile was like the other quite - and the full face was different again." Her mass of red hair, high on her head and loose at her neck as in this drawing and other portraits, was equally striking. She is chiefly known as Burne-Jones' lover - her face appears in many of his works of the late 1860s and early 1870s - but her own artistic career has been largely ignored. She was born into the Greek community in London. Her father was Dimitrius Cassavetti ('Hadji'), a wealthy cotton merchant. Her mother Euphrosyne was a member of the leading family, the Ionides, who were great patrons of the arts. Maria's Ionides cousins included the art collector Constantine, patron of Burne-Jones and Rossetti, Alexander, patron of Morris and Co., and Luke and Aglaia (Mrs Coronio), friends of Morris and Burne-Jones. Ionides connections included the Spartalis. Maria, Aglaia and Marie Spartali appear together as the Three Graces in Burne-Jones' The Mill (1870-82), commissioned by Constantine. Maria was passionate and unconventional: in 1860 George Du Maurier described her as "rude and unapproachable but of great talent and really wonderful beauty". In 1861 she married Dimitrius-Alexander Zambaco (or Zambacos), doctor to the Greek community in Paris. In 1866 Maria left her husband and returned to London with her son and daughter. Her mother introduced her to Burne-Jones. It was the beginning of a tempestuous relationship which threw Burne-Jones's marriage into crisis. In 1868 Burne-Jones began trying to end the relationship. On a January night in 1869 Maria proposed a suicide pact and when Burne-Jones refused she attempted to throw herself into the Regent's Canal outside Robert Browning's house. The police arrived to find Burne-Jones struggling with her. Burne-Jones left London with Morris, leaving Maria, as Rossetti put it "beating up all the quarters of his friends for him, and howling like Cassandra." Maria would not accept the parting, and Burne-Jones' continuing obsession with her is reflected in many pictures and drawings. He also asked Rossetti for a portrait of her. Rossetti drew several, including this one. On 5 March 1870 he wrote to Jane Morris: "....I think I have made a good portrait of Mary Zambaco, & Ned is greatly delighted with it....I like her very much and am sure that her love is all in all to her. I never had an opportunity of understanding her before....she is really extremely beautiful herself when one gets to study her face. I think she has got much more so within the last year with all her love and trouble." The troubled relationship finally ended in 1872. Maria became ill, possibly suffering a breakdown. When she recovered she decided to return to Paris. Maria had already begun to paint, possibly taught by Burne-Jones. In 1879 Rossetti wrote to Jane Morris "Marie S[tillman] told me that Mary Z. and her little pseudo-husband do nothing but work awfully hard at painting and produce Ned Joneses without number." In the early 1880s she returned (alone) to London. She took up sculpture under the tuition of Alphonse Legros. Her first works were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1886. Under his influence in 1885 she began making cast bronze portrait medals, including one of Marie Stillman, which she exhibited in London and Paris. A friendship with the sculptor Rodin began, and in the 1890s she returned once more to Paris, where Rodin gave her help and encouragement with her work. She ceased exhibiting after 1900.
Provenance
Thomas Ayres; his posthumous sale, Christie's, 23rd April 1906 (10), as a Head of a Youth [sic]; bought in; Miss Sylvia Crawshay; by whom given to Wightwick Manor in 1975
Marks and inscriptions
Portrait in red.£35.EBJ (written in ink on label)
Makers and roles
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898) , artist
References
Fitzgerald 1975 Penelope Fitzgerald, Edward Burne-Jones, 1975, p. 114 Wildman 1995 Stephen Wildman, Visions of Life and Love, Virginia 1995, No. 79