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By Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones
Girl with a Portative Organ for St George and the Dragon, The Return of the Princess (mis-titled St Cecilia)
pencil and sanguine chalk on paper
1865 circa - 1866
Dimensions: 34.9 cm x 17.2 cm
Collection Categories
Decorative Schemes and Murals, Drawings and studies, Works on Paper / Vellum
signed with initials and inscribed 'E.B.J. to J.R.' (lower right)
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This drawing was made as a study. c 1867 for a background figure in the seventh episode:The Return from The St George Series c 1868. Not wishing to leave the figure in a subsidiary position, it was converted into a watercolour (Mells collection) in 1870, The inscription has been interpreted as being a presentation to John Ruskin but this remains insecure as Burne-Jones held Ruskin in such high regard it was his custom when presenting drawings to admired friends, he usually decorated the initials with a spray of leaves and more formal lettering. A more likely recipient was Joseph Ruston of Lincoln who was a keen collector of Burne-Jones's work.

John Christian, William Waters
23/01/2020
Owner Dates Owned Further Info. and Accession no. circa
Geltzer Gallery
John Ruskin 1866 Given to him by EB-J ?
Christie's London (Christie, Manson and Woods) 2007-2007 Christopher Wood A Very Victorian Eye 28 February 2007 lot 7 £8,400
Title Author/Editor Year Page No. & Illustrations Attachments
Burne-Jones: The Life and Works of Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) Christopher Wood (Christopher Edward Russell Wood) 1998
illus p 64
The Last Pre-Raphaelite, Edward Burne-Jones and the Victorian Imagination Fiona MacCarthy 2011
Illus pl. 9 between pp. 486-487 pp. 276, 284, 292, 294-297, 298-299, 309, 316-320, 334, 336-339, 346, 463, 493, 506, 509, 516


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