Putto Study, for the lid of the Graham Family Piano

ca. 1879

Not on view

Burne-Jones's dynamic sketch of a naked child who bends to look under a vine while singing or shouting relates to a decorated piano lid that shows Mother Earth (Terra Omniparens) surrounded by vines and twenty-one children. The 1879 commission came from William Graham, a Scottish merchant and politician who presented the piano to his daughter Frances on her twenty-first birthday. In the related painting, naughty putti are characterized as miniature satyrs with pointed forelocks and tiny horns. The child shown here, however, seems instread to embody youthful energy, with wide open eyes and mouth (on the piano lid, Burne-Jones adapted the figure, closed the mouth and hid the eyes behind the vine). Only a few studies survive for this project and this example stands out for its spontaneity.

Artwork Details

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Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Putto Study, for the lid of the Graham Family Piano
Artist: Sir Edward Burne-Jones (British, Birmingham 1833–1898 Fulham)
Date: ca. 1879
Medium: White and reddish brown synthetic crayons on brown paper
Dimensions: Sheet (irregular): 14 in. × 8 5/8 in. (35.5 × 21.9 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Gift of Elisa Korb, in memory of Gerald Korb, 2020
Object Number: 2020.368
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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Armed Men, Sir Edward Burne-Jones British, Graphite, heightened with white chalk, on brown paper — Armed Men
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