Biography

Edward Burne-Jones was one of the finest British artists from the 19th century and this biography examines his life and career in greater detail.

This artist is strongly linked to the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, Arts and Crafts and also Aestheticism, such were the diverse nature of his artistic skills. It would be impossible to summarise his achievements in a short biography, when he was involved in so many different projects and mediums. Fundamental to them all would be his skills as a draughtsman which provided the basis for his paintings, drawings plus designs for tapestries and stained-glass windows.

Edward Burne-Jones considered himself, first and foremost, a craftsman and appreciated his time working for Morris & Co. who allowed him the freedom to concentrate on expressing himself how he liked and also gave him time to perfect his technical skills across a variety of different mediums. Professional artists would tend to find a formula that worked and stick with it for financial gain, but this was never how Burne-Jones saw himself.

He found a like-minded individual in William Morris who shared this same passion for traditional techniques and they were key to the creation of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Art for art's sake was no-longer something to be ashamed of, with Burne-Jones' concentration on feminine beauty in a style that some critics considered to be too similar to the approach of female artists, where as there was enough internal belief in the group to continue as they desired.