Study of a Female Head

Art Historical Context

Sir Edward Burne-Jones created this intimate “Study of a Female Head” in 1890, near the height of his career. The drawing reveals his lifelong fascination with the female face as a vehicle for quiet emotion and idealized beauty. Though modest in scale, such studies formed the foundation for many of his large-scale paintings and stained-glass designs. Executed in yellow, red, and green pastel with black crayon on red paper, the work exploits the warm ground to heighten the luminous quality of the layered colors. The soft, velvety medium allows Burne-Jones to model delicate transitions of light and shadow, giving the head a sculptural yet ethereal presence. The red support also unifies the composition, lending a subtle glow that echoes the artist’s interest in rich, decorative surfaces. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Robert Lehman Collection, the sheet offers visitors a rare glimpse into the private working methods of one of Victorian Britain’s most poetic draftsmen. Its sensitive handling of pastel demonstrates why Burne-Jones remains celebrated for transforming simple studies into visions of timeless grace.

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...