Artist: Edward Coley Burne-Jones
Style: Pre-Raphaelites;Italian Renaissance
Topic: Figures Men Mirrors Virgin Gods Women
Date: 1898
Size: 121 x 200 cm
Museum: Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon, Portugal)
Technique: Oil;Oil On Canvas;Canvas
The Mirror of Venus is a breathtaking oil painting created by the renowned British artist Edward Coley Burne-Jones in 1898. This masterpiece is currently housed at the prestigious Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal.
Aestheticism and Symbolism
The painting embodies the essence of aestheticism, a movement that emphasizes the importance of beauty and form over narrative content. Burne-Jones skillfully blends elements of Pre-Raphaelite and Italian Renaissance styles to create a unique visual experience. The scene is set in an arid, rocky landscape with Venus and her maidens gazing at their reflections in a pool of water.
Symbolic Significance
The title The Mirror of Venus alludes to the Roman goddess of love, adding symbolic depth to the painting. Venus's reflection in the lake serves as a metaphor for self-awareness and introspection. The rocks intruding upon her reflection may symbolize the challenges and complexities that accompany love.
Artistic Influences
Burne-Jones was heavily influenced by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, a fellow Pre-Raphaelite artist. However, his style evolved to become distinctly his own. A comparison with Rossetti's later work, such as Dante's Dream at the Time of the Death of Beatrice, reveals Burne-Jones's unique approach to capturing beauty and emotion.
Relevance in Modern Art
The Mirror of Venus continues to captivate audiences with its timeless beauty and thought-provoking symbolism. This painting is a testament to the enduring power of art to evoke emotions and spark imagination. Key Facts:
- Painting by 'Edward Coley Burne-Jones' | Edward Coley Burne-Jones:The Mirror of Venus (121 x 200 cm,Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon, Portugal),Pre-Raphaelites Italian Renaissance,Oil Oil On Canvas Canvas,)The scene is purely imaginary, and shows Venus and her maidens gazing at their reflections in a pool of water. The landscape is arid and rocky; these strangely lunar landscapes were to become a recurring feature of his art, widely imitated by his followers. The mood and the colour are Pre-Raphaelite, but the conscious sweetness and elegance of the figures recall the Italian Renaissance, and, in particular, Botticelli, an artist greatly admired by Burne-Jones, and later to become a cult among fashionable aesthetes. The conception is purely aesthetic — a ring of beautiful girls in lovely draperies, with a minimum of narrative of historical content. The draperies are pseudo-classical, and the title is Venus, but the picture could equally have been given a vague allegorical title. Through the faces of the girls and their wistful expressions Burne-Jones conveys that feeling of intense sadness and nostalgia for the past.
- Painting by 'Danish Unknown Goldsmith' | Danish Unknown Goldsmith:Tile (Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Lisboa, Portugal),Ceramic,)The ...
- Painting by 'Amadeo De Souza Cardoso' | Amadeo De Souza Cardoso:Before the Corrida (60 x 92 cm,Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon, Portugal),Oil On Canvas,)
For more information on this painting and other works by Edward Coley Burne-Jones, visit https://Wikioo.org.
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