Information

A page from the facsimile edition of Burne-Jones' Flower Book, one of 38 watercolour designs reproduced by Henri Piazza et Cie, for the Fine Art Society, London in 1905.'Witches' tree' is a common name for the rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) also known as 'witch wood' or 'witch bane'. It is also used to sometimes describe hawthorn or blackthorn. This picture clearly derives from what is perhaps the greatest of Burne-Jones's paintings, 'The Beguiling of Merlin' (Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Merseyside, 1873-75), although the placement of both Nimue and Merlin is reversed.

  • Purchased, 1953.
  • © Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery

Makers

Association Artist Organisation
Artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones -

Inscriptions

Type Position(s) Method Date(s) Notes
Nimue beguiling Merlin with enchantment.
Label - Printed - description of the scene, written by the artist. printed by the artist, herein a facsimile
 

Literature

Author(s) Date(s) Publisher Pages
The Flower Book.
Edward Burne-Jones 1994 Taschen Pl. XV
 
Burne-Jones
Christopher Wood 1998 Weidenfield & Nicolson, London p. 118 (repro)
 
Hidden Burne-Jones, Works on paper by Edward Burne-Jones from Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery
2007 Dan Giles, Ltd., London p. 72

Related work & resources

Discuss this work

Start a discussion about this work.

You need to login to discuss this work. Click here to login.

If you are not yet registered click here to become a member.
Find out more about membership