Lot Essay
These photographs are probably by Frederick Hollyer, who specialised in producing images after the work of Burne-Jones. The Days of Creation were originally cartoons executed in 1870 for the Church at Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire. The photographs of the sketches may have been used to provide a base for Burne-Jones to work on and modify his designs and the pencil annotations and sketches are in the hand of Burne-Jones.
The Days of Creation were subsequently worked up into finished oil paintings and exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1877, now in the Fogg Art Museum, Boston. The idea of depicting the Creation scenes each in a crystal ball held by an Angel is one of Burne-Jones most striking and original compositions.
The Days of Creation were subsequently worked up into finished oil paintings and exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1877, now in the Fogg Art Museum, Boston. The idea of depicting the Creation scenes each in a crystal ball held by an Angel is one of Burne-Jones most striking and original compositions.