| Method | Photogravure |
| Artist | after Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones |
| Published | Published by the Berlin Photographic Company Berlin. _ London W.133 New Bond Street. _ New York 14 East 23rd Street. [c.1900] |
| Dimensions | Image 512 x 194 mm, Plate 584 x 248 mm, Sheet 667 x 507 mm |
| Notes |
Printed on India laid paper. Plate 80, taken from Burne-Jones' 1886 oil painting of the same title, from 'The Work of Edward Burne-Jones, Ninety-One Photogravures Directly Reproduced from the Original Paintings'. Only two-hundred copies of the 'The Work of Edward Burne-Jones...' were produced, each of which was signed by Philip Burne-Jones, the eldest son of Edward. As described by Burne-Jones, 'The Depths of the Sea' is both 'indefinite' and 'suggestive'. Whilst it is clear that the mermaid has grasped onto the body of a young, nude man, and is hauling him to the depths of the sea, the context of the situation is ambiguous. Instead, Burne-Jones purposely leaves the viewer to ponder over fear, desire, and fatal attraction. The mermaid embodies the notion of the 'femme fatale', which proved to be a popular theme in the work of Burne-Jones, and more widely speaking, that of the Pre-Raphaelites. In an age where a strict moral code was held high in society, it comes as little surprise that seductive, dangerous women sparked both fear and fascination, and in turn, was reflected in the visual arts. The painting from which this photogravure was taken is now in a private collection. Burne-Jones revisited the subject in the following year, producing a watercolour copy, which is now in the collection of the Fogg Art Musueum. Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Bt (1833-1898) was a painter and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Burne-Jones met William Morris as an undergraduate of Exeter college, Oxford, whilst studying for a degree in theology. The pair went on to work very closely together on numerous decorative arts projects including stained glass windows, tapestries and illustrations. Originally intending to become a church minister, Burne-Jones never finished his degree, choosing instead to pursue an artistic career under the influence of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Rossetti heavily inspired his early work, but by the 1860's his idiosyncratic style was beginning to develop. His mature work, however different in total effect, is rich in conscious echoes of Botticelli, Mantegna and other Italian masters of the Quattrocento. Thusly, Burne Jones' later paintings of classical and medieval subjects are some of the most iconic of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He was at the height of his popularity during the 1880's, though his reputation began to decline with the onset of the Impressionists. He was created a baronet in 1894, when he formally hyphenated his name. The Berlin Photographic Company, (1880 - 1920; fl) or the Berlin Photographische Gesellschaft, was a German print publishers who specialised in photogravures after Old Masters and contemporary painters. High quality photographs were taken of the original works. The negatives were then exposed onto a gelatin covered copper plate, etched with acid, and printed in a similar fashion to an engraving. The main series of the Berlin Photographic Company's publications is kept together at Blythe House, West Kensington. Condition: Foxing and discolouration to margins, water stain to lower edge of sheet, slightly affecting image. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £500.00 |
| Stock ID | 41637 |