- 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.
Explore
- emotions, concepts and ideas(16,875)
-
- emotions and human qualities(5,366)
-
- virtue(12)
- politics and society(2,370)
- animals: birds(1,272)
-
- dove(67)
- cat(263)
- actions: expressive(2,655)
-
- protecting(56)
- carrying / holding(865)
- woman(9,056)
- magic and occultism(651)
-
- familiar(6)
- royalty and social rank(1,833)
-
- courtier(69)
You might like
-
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Sidonia von Bork 1560
1860 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor
1862 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Sigurd the Crusader, engraved by the Dalziel Brothers
published 1862 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt The Finding of Moses
1879 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Fountain of Youth
1873–81 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Clerk Saunders
1861 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Study of a Draped Male Figure. Verso: Man with Sword
c.1879 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Lovers in a Garden
?1863 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Woman in an Interior
c.1861 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt St Luke
1872 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt The Call of Perseus; Perseus and the Graiae; Perseus and the Nereids
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 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt The Mermaid
1882 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Composition Study for ‘Ezekiel and the Boiling Pot’
c.1860 -
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt Sketch of Two Seated Figures for ?‘The Backgammon Players’
?c.1861