Oil paint on canvas
Tate Britain
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on display
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-edward-coley-burne-jones-bt-68" aria-label="More by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt</a>
King Cophetua and Beggar Maid
Presented by subscribers 1900
actions: postures and motions
actions: processes and functions
adults
architecture
armour
balcony
balustrade
beauty
beggar
boy
children
clothing and personal items
courtier
crown
domestic
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
evening
features
Graham, Frances
hall
health and welfare
Horner, Frances, née Graham
interiors
king
lance
landscape
leisure and pastimes
literature (not Shakespeare)
literature and fiction
looking / watching
looking up
love
man
named individuals
objects
people
reading
recreational activities
religious and ceremonial
royalty and social rank
shield
sitting
society
standing
Tennyson, Alfred, Lord, ‘The Beggar Maid’
times of the day
universal concepts
weapons
woman
wooded
work and occupations
<p>This work was based on Alfred Tennyson’s poem ‘The Beggar Maid’. King Cophetua of Ethiopia falls in love with Penelophon, a young woman he sees begging for money. They marry, and she becomes Queen. This work was considered Burne-Jones’s greatest achievement. Critics praised it for its technical skill and for the message that love is more important than wealth and power. Through this painting and its reproduction as a print, Burne-Jones became seen in Europe as the most important symbolist painter of his generation.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2019</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
29 August 2001 – 25 July 2005
2005-07-25
29 August 2001
2001-08-29
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2001-08-29
Art and Victorian Society
Collection based display
8 August 2005 – 4 October 2010
2010-10-04
8 August 2005 – 4 October 2010
2010-10-04
2005-08-08
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2005-08-08
Victorian Spectacle
Collection based display
12 September 2012 – 31 January 2014
2014-01-31
12 September 2012 – 13 January 2013
2013-01-13
2012-09-12
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2012-09-12
Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde
Exhibition
13 May 2013 – 3 September 2013
2013-09-03
13 May 2013 – 3 September 2013
2013-09-03
2013-05-13
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2013-05-13
Moving Images: Painting and Early Film
Collection based display
7 August 2014 – 24 July 2022
2022-07-24
7 August 2014
2014-08-07
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2014-08-07
Gallery 9
Collection based display
24 October 2018 – 24 February 2019
2019-02-24
24 October 2018 – 24 February 2019
2019-02-24
2018-10-24
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2018-10-24
Edward Burne-Jones
Exhibition
King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid
support: 2934 × 1359 mm
frame: 3832 × 2203 × 215
Presented by subscribers 1900
<div><p><span>This work is based on Alfred Tennyson’s poem ‘The Beggar Maid’. King Cophetua of Ethiopia falls in love with Penelophon, a young woman he sees begging for money. They marry, and she becomes Queen. At the time, art critics praised this work for its technical skill and for the message that love is more important than wealth and power. Through this painting and its reproduction as a print, Edward Burne-Jones became seen in Europe as the most important symbolist painter of his generation.</span></p></div>
Online caption
2024-04-22T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
actions: postures and motions actions: processes and functions adults architecture armour balcony balustrade beauty beggar boy children clothing and personal items courtier crown domestic emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas evening features Graham, Frances hall health and welfare Horner, Frances, née Graham interiors king lance landscape leisure and pastimes literature and fiction literature (not Shakespeare) looking up looking / watching love man named individuals objects people reading recreational activities religious and ceremonial royalty and social rank shield sitting society standing Tennyson, Alfred, Lord, ‘The Beggar Maid’ times of the day universal concepts weapons woman wooded work and occupations