Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Pre-Raphaelite Online Resource : The Collection

Sketchbook - Studies of Hands and a Putto for 'Earth'

By Sir Edward Burne-Jones

1875 – 1879

Accession number: 1952P4.19

Pencil and chalk on paper.

Width: 177 mm

Height: 263 mm

Four studies on one sheet. Left study is of a full length child seen from behind. Three studies on right are of hands, palms facing up: top and bottom are of the right hand, middle is of the left.

Information

These studies are of the right and left hands of Mother Earth and the putto leaning on her right knee, from the inner lid of the Graham Piano, executed in 1879-80 (in a Private Collection). The painting was commissioned by William Graham, for his daughter Frances. These studies are identical to their counterparts on the figure of Mother Earth, inscribed 'Terra Omniparens', surrounded by 21 chubby putti. A large preparatory cartoon of this panel is located at the V & A (E. 690-1896).