| 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 354 x 240 mm, Plate 428 x 300 mm, Sheet 667 x 507 mm |
| Notes |
Printed on India laid paper. Plate 11, taken from Burne-Jones' 1863 watercolour 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 with many works by the artists associated with Pre-Raphaelitism, a medieval legend acted as the source for Burne-Jones' 'The Merciful Knight'. Here, Burne-Jones looked to the tale of Giovanni Gualberto, an 11th-century Florentine knight, Italian Roman Catholic saint, and the founder of the Vallumbrosan Order. The legend states that, one Good Friday, Gualberto was entering Florence, accompanied by armed followers, when he encountered the man who had killed his brother. Ready to avenge his brother, the man fell to his knees, and pleaded for mercy in the name of Christ. Rather than killing the man, Gualberto forgave him. Later entering a Church to pray, Gualberto witnessed the figure of Christ on a crucifix bowing his head in recognition of Guaulberto's forgiveness and chivalry. The legend was to be retold in Kenelm Digby's 'The Broad-Stone of Honour'. Published in 1822, the book was an attempt to revive chivalry through the exploration of various medieval examples. It was through Digby's publication that Burne-Jones was familiar with the legend of Gualberto. Although the inspiration for Burne-Jones' 'The Merciful Knight' was the legend of Gualberto, the image is far more intimate and dramatised than the tale. Drawing on the moment that Gualberto receives recognition from the figure of Christ, Burne-Jones here depicts a life-size wooden figure of Christ leaning forward from his crucifix, miraculously embracing a kneeling Guaulberto. Perhaps one of the most vital aspects of Pre-Raphaelite art was the notion of painting from nature. Burne-Jones' 'The Merciful Knight' embodies this principle, with the marigolds in the foreground being painted from the 'town garden' in Russell Square, near Burne-Jones' house that sat opposite the British Museum. 'The Merciful Knight' is said to have been Burne-Jones' own favourite amongst his early works. In Burne-Jones' memorial biography, his wife, Georgiana, spoke of the painting, stating that it appeared 'to sum up and seal the ten years that had passed since Edward first went to Oxford'. 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: Some foxing and discolouration to margins, water stains to upper right and lower left corners of sheet, not affecting image. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £400.00 |
| Stock ID | 41492 |