Preparatory Design for a Stained Glass Window, Virgil and Horace 

This drawing, by Edward Burne-Jones, is a preparatory design for a stained glass window, showing the classical poets Virgil and Horace. The drawing in pencil and wash shows the division of the panes, as the artist worked out the composition and narrative flow. Burne-Jones designed many stained-glass windows, often collaborating with the firm of Morris & Co. He would have been responsible for the painted designs, and others would have selected the glass, cut it to shape, and assembled the windows using lead cames. The labor involved in the production of stained glass was considerable. The artist's design would be translated into a full-size cartoon, which then guided the artisans in the workshop. The process, from design to installation, required a close collaboration between artists, designers, and skilled workers. The Arts and Crafts movement, to which Burne-Jones belonged, sought to ennoble this kind of labor, giving dignity and status to those who worked with their hands.