Graphite on paper
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<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>
Demophoön Tree Forgiveness
Presented by Lord Duveen 1925
actions: postures and motions
adults
arm / arms raised
Chaucer, Geoffrey, ‘The Legend of Good Women’
literature (not Shakespeare)
literature and fiction
man
people
<p>In 1870 Burne-Jones exhibited 'Phyllis and Demophoon' at the Old Water-Colour Society. The story, treated by Ovid and Chaucer, concerns the love of Phyllis, Queen of Thrace, for Demophoon, one of the Greeks returning home from the Trojan Wars. By the time Demophoon came back to claim his love, Phyllis had been transformed into a barren almond tree. However, the tree burst into blooms of forgiveness when it was embraced. Burne-Jones resigned from the Society after he was asked to remove the watercolour because of the impropriety of its nude depiction of Demophoon. Much later he reworked the subject as an oil painting entitled 'The Tree of Forgiveness' (Lady Lever Art Gallery).</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper unique graphite
Study of Demophoön for ‘The Tree of Forgiveness’
support: 248 × 133 mm
Presented by Lord Duveen 1925
<p>In 1870 Burne-Jones exhibited 'Phyllis and Demophoon' at the Old <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/watercolour" title="Glossary definition for 'Watercolour'"><span>Water-Colour</span></a> Society. The story, treated by Ovid and Chaucer, concerns the love of Phyllis, Queen of Thrace, for Demophoon, one of the Greeks returning home from the Trojan Wars. By the time Demophoon came back to claim his love, Phyllis had been transformed into a barren almond tree. However, the tree burst into blooms of forgiveness when it was embraced. Burne-Jones resigned from the Society after he was asked to remove the watercolour because of the impropriety of its nude depiction of Demophoon. Much later he reworked the subject as an oil <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> entitled 'The Tree of Forgiveness' (Lady Lever Art Gallery).</p>
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2004-09-02T00:00:00
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actions: postures and motions adults arm / arms raised Chaucer, Geoffrey, ‘The Legend of Good Women’ literature and fiction literature (not Shakespeare) man people