The Golden Stairs 1880

Edward Burne-Jones painted these maidens descending a staircase with oil on canvas. The women, draped in classical gowns, carry musical instruments, evoking the Muses of ancient Greece. The staircase motif is an ancient symbol of ascent, both literal and metaphorical. Think of Jacob's Ladder from Genesis. Now, consider the act of descending. It suggests a return to the earthly realm, a counterpoint to spiritual transcendence. The downward movement, like Orpheus leading Eurydice from the underworld, is fraught with tension. The motif appears in many later artworks, and we find it even today in film and visual art, where the staircase appears as a powerful psychological space. Burne-Jones harnesses this collective memory, engaging viewers on a subconscious level with the simple scene of women on a staircase. It is the cyclical progression of symbolic language that gives this artwork its enduring resonance.