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Lot Essay
The Flower Book is based on a series of thirty-eight circular watercolours inspired by the traditional vernacular names of flowers. Burne-Jones's wife Georgiana commented, 'Not a single flower itself appears'. The drawings reflect the landscape around Burne-Jones' home at Rottingdean, and include and reference favourite themes from his work, such as Meadow Sweet (no. XXXV), which features the central figures from The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon.
They were painted for his private pleasure, and were described by Georgiana as the 'most soothing piece of work that he ever did'. On his death Burne-Jones left the album of flower paintings to her, and she published a facsimile edition of three-hundred copies in 1905, in co-operation with the Fine Art Society, of which the present book is number twelve. It was printed by Henry Piazza, who hand-stencilled watercolour over collotypes using the pochoir technique to produce the brilliant colours.
Copies of The Flower Book are in the collections of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Delaware Art Museum. The original album was acquired by the British Museum in 1909.
They were painted for his private pleasure, and were described by Georgiana as the 'most soothing piece of work that he ever did'. On his death Burne-Jones left the album of flower paintings to her, and she published a facsimile edition of three-hundred copies in 1905, in co-operation with the Fine Art Society, of which the present book is number twelve. It was printed by Henry Piazza, who hand-stencilled watercolour over collotypes using the pochoir technique to produce the brilliant colours.
Copies of The Flower Book are in the collections of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Delaware Art Museum. The original album was acquired by the British Museum in 1909.