Theseus and the Minotaur in the Labyrinth 1861

Edward Burne-Jones's 1861 drawing, "Theseus and the Minotaur in the Labyrinth," depicts the Greek hero Theseus peering around a corner of the labyrinth, his sword drawn, while the Minotaur lurks in the adjacent corridor. The stark, almost skeletal drawing style evokes the foreboding atmosphere of the myth, with scattered bones and delicate flowers signifying the dangers and potential for new life within the labyrinth. The work's focus on the psychological tension of the encounter, rather than a dramatic confrontation, exemplifies the Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic that valued symbolism and poetic imagery.