Celebrate Burne-Jones’ 180th Birthday at the Lady Lever Art Gallery

Wednesday. August 28th, will be Edward Burne-Jones’ 180th birthday.  To celebrate, visitors to the Lady Lever Art Gallery will be treated to a giant birthday cake. The cake will feature ‘Angel playing a Flageolet’, a classic example of Burne-Jones’ work from National Museums Liverpool’s Pre-Raphaelite collection. More details here…

Lady of Shalott: Our Modern Version of the Curse

  “The mirror crack’d from side to side;“The curse is come upon me,” criedThe Lady of Shalott.“ Forbidden from interacting with the world, Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott lives a life of solitude, spending her time weaving elaborate tapestries as events of the world are reflected to her through a mirror. Our modern eyes may read … Read more

Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus

There are many artistic representations of Circe.  Previous posts on this blog include Circe Invidiosa and The Wine of Circe.  Kirsty Stonell Walker explores Circe more deeply in her post Snowdrops, Swine and Seductive Sorceresses. I’ve been looking at mirrors in Pre-Raphaelite art in my previous posts.  In Il Dolce Far Niente and Viola, the … Read more

Seeking out Mirrors

I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to paintings with mirrors in them, but I seem to seek them out. Specifically, mirrors on walls — not mirrors as a symbol of vanity. When I see a mirror in the background, I feel as if the artist has offered me a different perspective, allowing me to … Read more