Draped Figure and Reflection, study for Mirror of Venus
c. 1873–77
Medium
Graphite on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
25.3 × 17.8 cm (10 × 7 1/16 in.)
Classification
graphite
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
78934
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world Sir Edward Burne-Jones, a leading figure the Pre-Raphael Brotherhood, with this delicate graphite study from 1873–77. Titled *Draped Figure and Reflection, study for Mirror of*, it captures a draped female form and its shimmering reflection, serving as preparatory sketch for the artist's monumental painting *The Mirror of Venus*. Created during the Victorian era's fascination with medieval aesthetics and classical mythology, Burne-Jones's work evokes timeless beauty and introspection, blending realism with ethereal grace. Rendered in soft graphite on luxurious i...
About the Artist
Sir Edward Burne-Jones · 1833–1898
Edward Coley Burne-Jones was born on 28 August 1833 in Birmingham, the son of a frame-maker, and lost his mother within a week of his birth. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and the Birmingham School of Art before proceeding to Exeter College, Oxford, in 1852, intending to study theology. At Oxford he formed a lifelong friendship with William Morris, and the two young men became intoxicat...