Studies of Hill-Fairies

Details

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt., A.R.A., R.W.S. (1833-1898)
Studies of Hill-Fairies
one signed with initials and dated 'EB-J/1885' (lower right) and inscribed 'Designs for wood [sic] fairies, originally intended for "Arthur in Avalon" but not used in final design of unfinished picture' (on a label on the back-board in the hand of the artist's son, Philip Burne-Jones)
pencil, in the original Guéraut mounts
8¼ x 5¼ in. (21 x 13.3. cm.); and 5 x 4¾ in. (12.6 x 12 cm.) (2)

Provenance

Remaining Works of the late Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Bt. (+); Christie's, London, 5 June 1919, possibly lot 55, 64 or 65.

Exhibited

Bradford, Corporation Art Gallery, no. 57.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

These studies are for the so-called 'hill-fairies', one group male, the other female, that Burne-Jones considered painting into the lateral sections of Arthur in Avalon. The date 1885 on one of them corresponds to an entry for that year in his autograph work-record, preserved in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge: 'also I worked on Avalon, and made the designs for the Fairies in the hills of that picture'. 1885 was also the year when Burne-Jones suggested to George Howard that he should keep the original version of the picture and paint a 'simpler scheme' for Naworth.

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