Description

The story of Briar Rose (known popularly as "Sleeping Beauty") occupied Edward Burne-Jones on and off for much of his career. He completed three related sets of paintings of the subject over a 30-year period. This drawing probably relates to the first series, now in the Museo de Arte in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Here, vines twist in arabesques against a flat, chartreuse background, as though ensnaring the six servants asleep at a loom and well.

Provenance

Charles Edward Hallé [1846-1914], London (?-by 1914); (sale, Sotheby's, London, November 26, 1926, no. 22) (1926); (sale, Christie's, London, June 11, 1993, no. 93) (1993); (J. S. Maas and Son, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH) (probably 1993-1994); Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1994-)

The Garden Court

Edward Burne-Jones

1870–75

Accession Number

1994.197

Medium

graphite and watercolor, heightened with white gouache

Dimensions

Matted: 54.3 x 81.4 x 0.8 cm (21 3/8 x 32 1/16 x 5/16 in.); Frame: 61.3 x 88.9 x 3.2 cm (24 1/8 x 35 x 1 1/4 in.); Image: 32.3 x 60.2 cm (12 11/16 x 23 11/16 in.)