Author Description

This biography traces Edward Burne-Jones's life and suggests a deeper understanding of his work. It tells of his beginnings as a solitary child in Birmingham, the only son of a not too successful picture-framer, and his formative years at Oxford where, with William Morris, he felt the powerful influence of Ruskin and the Pre-Raphaelites. In 1860 he married the 19-year-old Georgiana Macdonald. This book describes their life together, Georgie's constant loyalty throughout his periods of illness and his infatuations with striking young women, and his love for his children: he was a slave to his beautiful daughter, Margaret, and bewildered by his difficult son, Phil. But Burne-Jones was, in fact, a sympathetic man, and a great wit. This edition has been brought back into print to coincide with the centenary of Burne-Jones's death.