Temperantia 1872

Here we see Edward Burne-Jones's painting *Temperantia*, a work steeped in the aesthetic and cultural values of late 19th-century England. The figure of Temperantia, or Temperance, is portrayed as a woman pouring liquid onto flames, which speaks to the Victorian era's complex relationship with women as symbols of moral restraint and control. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, of which Burne-Jones was a key figure, sought to revive the purity and simplicity of early Italian art, turning away from industrialization and societal change. However, this idealization often placed women in restrictive roles, emphasizing virtue and obedience. In this context, Temperantia embodies the era's anxieties about female sexuality and the need to control it. The painting can be seen as a reflection of how societal expectations were projected onto women. The painting's appeal lies in its visual beauty, but it also invites us to consider the cultural constraints and expectations placed on women during the Victorian era.