Edward Burne-Jones, The Star of Bethlehem
You can see a reproduction of the work at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_Burne-Jones_Star_of_Bethlehem.jpg
A member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and a close friend of William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, often drew his inspiration from the Bible, medieval tales, or poetry. His masterpiece, entitled Star of Bethlehem, is a large-scale watercolour representing the Adoration of the Magi. This highly-detailed watercolour is two hundred and fifty-six centimeter long and three hundred and eighty-six centimeter high. It was a commission from the Birmingham Museum Art Gallery. The work, the largest 19th century watercolour, was completed in 1890 and first exhibited in 1891. Edward Burne-Jones situates his masterful watercolour in a well-established iconographical tradition that ranges from Gentile da Fabriano’s tempera on wood (1432), or Durër’s oil (1504) to Rembrandt (1632), and Sebastiano Ricci (1726)’s oils on canvas. It is therefore interesting to see which elements are congruent with the tradition and which elements are Jones’ own creations.
The Adoration of the Magi is a subject-matter that was frequently illustrated by the Italian Masters. As the Pre-Raphaelites were eager to delve into pre-Renaissance art, it is hardly surprising that Jones should have selected this episode. Burnes painted many religious compositions. He had first been commissioned a tapestry on the same subject and had produced a cartoon for the tapestry in 1887. Ten woven versions of it exist today. Jones subsequently painted a watercolour on the same subject for the Birmingham Gallery. Like most Adorations of the Magi, the composition features the Holy Family on one side and the three wise men on the other side. An angel holding the star of Bethlehem stands in the middle of the scene and separates the Holy family and the Magi. Christ is on the laps of the Virgin while Joseph stands behind. The Virgin and the infant are enhanced thanks to the flowered trellis behind them and the golden straw under them. The composition is therefore symmetrical: three characters are placed on each side of the angel. The symmetry is reinforced by the emphasis on verticality. The bodies of the characters are slender and long, the poles of the hut are clearly visible, and the tree-trunks in the background give much structure to the whole.
However, Jones respects the traditional iconography to a certain extent only. Indeed, while in most works Christ is gazing at the three men, or touching one of them, here he seems scared and looks down towards his mother for protection. Jones added a melodramatic element emphasizing emotions and creating a mysterious atmosphere. This impression of mystery, one might almost say gloominess, is reinforced by his choice of colour. Though blue is generally the colour of the Virgin’s cloak, here it is a prevalent tint. All the characters are clad in dark-blue clothes, which confers unity to the scene. While most artists set the scene is daylight and painted a bright landscape behind the scene, the landscape that surrounds Burne’s characters is unusually dark. The scene is imbued with gothic gloominess and medieval mystery. One of the three wise men is a knight in his armour. The helmet on his head is a most unusual detail. Edward Burne-Jones revisits the Nativity and transposes the scene into the Middle-Ages. His style owes much to tapestry: the prevalent colours are green, blue and red; flowers and vegetal ornaments decorate the scene; all sense of depth and perspective has been abolished.
The scene is bathed in a mysterious, preternatural light, which gives an eerie atmosphere to the scene. This dream-like effect springs from the use of colour and the abundance of details. Edward Burne-Jones minutely painted all the details of the Magi’s garment: the gems and precious stones ornamenting the crown, the decorated seam of the African wise man, the embroidery on the edging (bordure) of the gown, the shoes designed after the medieval fashion, and the elaborate pattern decorating the stole and fabrics. The accumulation of detail shows the wealth of the Magi and plunge the onlooker into a dream. The extraordinary wealth of the Magi’s outfit is in stark contrast with the poverty of the Holy Family. Joseph, the Virgin, and Christ are sheltered under a small hut made out of wooden poles and straw (paille). The members of the PRB wanted to ground their works into daily life and would often paint ordinary scenes and everyday life objects. In The Star of Bethlehem, Joseph is about to light a fire with the straw he has just collected. The hut is painted in such a detailed manner that the viewer can see how it was built. Each tiny twig (brindille), each blade of grass, or wisp of straw (brin de paille) is cleary visible. The strangeness of the whole scene is due to the juxtaposition of the Magi’s riches and the Holy Family’s plain life, and to the dizzy collection of details.
The Star of Bethlehem testifies to Edward Burne-Jones’ style. His taste for medieval tales and chivalry combines with his interest in religious subject-matters. The colours are borrowed from medieval tapestry, as well as the flat composition and the elongated figures. The moodiness of the scene is also very typical of the atmosphere in Jones’ canvases. His characters are often both calm, or unflinching, and slightly melancholy. In this respect, Jones is also a romantic painter fleeing the mundane vulgarity of his epoch, and seeking an otherworldliness in his medieval fantasies.
