Head of a Young Woman (Study for "The Hesperides"?) 1870

Editor: Here we have Burne-Jones's pencil drawing, "Head of a Young Woman," possibly a study for "The Hesperides." The delicacy of the lines is really striking. What can you tell us about the artist's process and the social context of its creation? Curator: Notice the paper itself – its texture, its possible source. Burne-Jones likely chose it deliberately. Consider how the availability and cost of materials like pencils and paper influenced artistic production in his era. How does this study challenge our notions of finished versus unfinished art, and the labor involved? Editor: That’s fascinating, I never thought about paper that way! Thanks! Curator: Thinking about the materials helps us connect the artwork to its broader economic and social conditions.