Drapery Studies for King Cophetua and the Beggarmaid
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898)
Category
Art / Drawings and watercolours
Date
circa 1883
Materials
Black chalk on paper/card
Measurements
485 x 345 mm
Order this imageCollection
Wightwick Manor, West Midlands
NT 1288002
Summary
Black chalk drawing on paper/card, Drapery studies for King Cophetua and the Beggarmaid by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898), circa 1883. A study for drapery across knees and left leg of the beggar maid in the painting of King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid, 1884 (Tate Britain); top left, the study of a leg.
Full description
Black chalk, Drapery studies for King Cophetua and the Beggarmaid by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898), circa 1883. Large numbers of preparatory studies for all aspects of a picture - basic composition, figures, and details - were an essential part of Burne-Jones' practice. These rejected designs for the beggar maid's dress are among numerous studies for the figures, clothes and details for King Cophetua. Another sheet of Drapery studies for the dress (WIG/ D/ 210), a sheet of Studies of feet (WIG/ D/ 208), both dated 1883, and a Study for the crown (WIG/ D/ 209) are all in the Wightwick collection, and there are similar studies in the Manchester City Art Gallery collection. The finished oil painting was completed and exhibited in England in 1884 and in Paris in 1889, to great acclaim. It was purchased by the Tate Gallery in 1900.
Provenance
Mrs J. Mackail (Burne-Jones' daughter Margaret); possibly Christie's 3 December 1954 lot 7 "Studies of figures, drapery etc. for the 'Beggar Maid', 'Briar Rose', 'Fortune's Wheel', 'Love is Enough' etc. ", bought Meatyard, or lot 8 "Studies of Figures for 'Love and the Pilgrim', 'The Beggar Maid', 'Wheel of Fortune', 'Days of Creation' etc.", bought R.E.A. Wilson; according to label on reverse purchased from Mrs Mackail in 1955 for £3
Marks and inscriptions
Typed label on reverse.
Makers and roles
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Birmingham 1833 - London 1898) , artist