Scattered Starwort 1905

Editor: This is Edward Burne-Jones's "Scattered Starwort" from 1905. It's a watercolor and charcoal drawing, and it's quite striking. I’m intrigued by the repeated figures in a circle. How do you approach a piece like this? Curator: Given the material elements, consider the social function these materials played during the Pre-Raphaelite period. Watercolour was considered a craft material rather than a medium for 'high art'. Yet Burne-Jones uses it here for what appears to be a spiritual or allegorical subject, executed as watercolour illustration. What statement might he be making by elevating the status of the medium? Editor: That's interesting! So, you're saying the choice of watercolor, a traditionally 'lesser' medium, challenges the established art hierarchy of the time? Almost like elevating craft. Curator: Precisely! Burne-Jones, entrenched in the Arts and Crafts movement, blurs the line between fine art and decorative arts, and his process reflects socialist politics, as does the repetitive, almost industrial rendering of these figures. Editor: The uniformity of figures almost mocks mechanization? Curator: Yes, it’s compelling to explore if it speaks about mass production and standardisation through hand-made items during industrialization. Consider, too, that it looks very much like something designed for decorative art–a tile perhaps, made using industrial processes and for sale. Does that impact your initial impression? Editor: It does. I initially saw spiritual figures, but seeing it as potentially designed for commercial reproduction... shifts my perception to a kind of artistic commentary. I had not thought about the materials as something that is being ‘sold’. Curator: Absolutely! Recognizing materiality opens new doors for understanding the socio-political message behind Burne-Jones' "Scattered Starwort." Editor: That really makes me appreciate how material can speak volumes! Thank you for this perspective.