Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt

Clara von Bork 1560

1860

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

In Tate Britain

Edward Burne-Jones

Book tickets
Now booking
Artist
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt 1833–1898
Medium
Watercolour and gouache on paper
Dimensions
Support: 342 x 179 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Bequeathed by W. Graham Robertson 1948
Reference
N05878

Display caption

This picture depicts Clara von Dewitz, the wife of Marcus Bork, another character from Meinhold's novel 'Sidonia the Sorceress' (see also no.2). Meinhold describes her as 'intelligent, courageous, and faithful, with a quiet, amiable disposition, and of most pious and Christian demeanour'. Burne-Jones conveys her considerate nature through her act of cradling, and thereby protecting, some fledgling doves from the predatory attentions of a black cat. It is likely that the cat is Sidonia's familiar (a spirit or demon that serves a witch). If so, its presence may allude to the grisly death Clara meets at the hands of the evil enchantress.

Gallery label, June 1993

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Pre-Raphaelite

Explore

You might like

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Sidonia von Bork 1560’ 1860

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Sidonia von Bork 1560

1860
On display at Tate Britain part of Edward Burne-Jones N05877
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor’ 1862

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor

1862
N03822
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Atlas Turned to Stone; The Rock of Doom and the Doom Fulfilled; The Court of Phineas; The Baleful Head’ 1875–6

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Atlas Turned to Stone; The Rock of Doom and the Doom Fulfilled; The Court of Phineas; The Baleful Head

1875–6
On display at Tate Britain part of Edward Burne-Jones N03458
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Sigurd the Crusader, engraved by the Dalziel Brothers’ published 1862

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Sigurd the Crusader, engraved by the Dalziel Brothers

published 1862
View by appointment N04046
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘The Finding of Moses’ 1879

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt The Finding of Moses

1879
View by appointment A00073
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Fountain of Youth’ 1873–81

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Fountain of Youth

1873–81
N03428
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Clerk Saunders’ 1861

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Clerk Saunders

1861
On display at Tate Britain part of Edward Burne-Jones N04390
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Lovers in a Garden’ ?1863

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Lovers in a Garden

?1863
View by appointment A01169
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Woman in an Interior’ c.1861

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Woman in an Interior

c.1861
N03872
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Study of a Draped Male Figure. Verso: Man with Sword’ c.1879

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Study of a Draped Male Figure. Verso: Man with Sword

c.1879
N03986
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘St Luke’ 1872

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt St Luke

1872
On display at Tate Britain part of Edward Burne-Jones N03426
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, ‘How Sir Galahad, Sir Bors and Sir Percival Were Fed with the Sanct Grael; but Sir Percival’s Sister Died by the Way’ 1864

Dante Gabriel Rossetti How Sir Galahad, Sir Bors and Sir Percival Were Fed with the Sanct Grael; but Sir Percival’s Sister Died by the Way

1864
N05234
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Sketch of Two Seated Figures for ?‘The Backgammon Players’’ ?c.1861

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Sketch of Two Seated Figures for ?‘The Backgammon Players’

?c.1861
On display at Tate Britain part of Edward Burne-Jones A00110
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Study of the Head of a Female Attendant for ‘The Adoration of the Kings’’ c.1861

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Study of the Head of a Female Attendant for ‘The Adoration of the Kings’

c.1861
On display at Tate Britain part of Edward Burne-Jones A00103
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ‘Composition Study for ‘Ezekiel and the Boiling Pot’’ c.1860

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Composition Study for ‘Ezekiel and the Boiling Pot’

c.1860
On display at Tate Britain part of Edward Burne-Jones A01163