Two Banners: verso: Two Banners c. 19th century

Editor: This pencil drawing by Edward Burne-Jones, called "Two Banners", it's a study of fabric it seems. The banners droop and swirl. What do you read in this piece? Curator: Considering Burne-Jones’s involvement in the Arts and Crafts movement, these banners speak to the symbolic power of crafted objects in a rapidly industrializing world. What kind of symbolism do you think the banners hold? Are they emblems of power or perhaps resistance? Editor: Resistance, definitely. They seem too soft to be about power. I hadn't considered the Arts and Crafts movement. Curator: Exactly. And consider how the banner, traditionally a symbol of national identity, is here reduced to its aesthetic qualities. What does this gesture tell us about Burne-Jones's potential critique of Victorian values? Editor: So interesting. I see the banners differently now. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It’s about understanding the artist’s possible commentary on the societal structures of his time.