Golden Shower 1905

Edward Burne-Jones created this painting of Danaë in her tower using watercolour and gouache on paper. The very deliberate application of these materials invites us to explore the painting through the lens of labor and production. Burne-Jones applied gold to the depiction of the Golden Shower, which must have been a slow, meticulous process. The texture of the painting is particularly interesting. The gouache lends a matte, opaque quality, contrasting with the translucent washes of watercolor. This interplay of textures enhances the overall visual experience. The painting isn’t so much a window onto a scene, but a constructed surface, an object of skillful making. Burne-Jones was deeply involved in the Arts and Crafts movement, and his works often challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft. What is most important is the transformation of raw materials through labor into an object of beauty and meaning.