Drapery Study; verso: blank c. 19th century

Curator: Here we have Edward Burne-Jones's pencil study of drapery, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s ethereally light, almost like watching a ghost float. There's a sense of captured movement, isn't there? Curator: Absolutely. Burne-Jones made numerous studies like this, meticulously observing fabric to later inform the fall of garments in his Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The political and aesthetic climate in England celebrated a return to naturalism, so accurate depictions of the real world, even in fantasy settings, were important. Editor: It makes you wonder what characters these bits of cloth eventually dressed. Were they heroes, gods, or just everyday dreamers? Curator: Knowing Burne-Jones, probably a little bit of everything. It’s fascinating to think about how such a simple sketch served such grand artistic ambitions. Editor: Exactly. These humble beginnings fueled something truly captivating.