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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>
Three Beguiling Merlin
Bequeathed by A.N. MacNicholl 1916
adults
arm
Arthurian legend
body
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head / face
literature and fiction
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<p>In 1872 Burne-Jones began work on the painting 'The Beguiling of Merlin', which was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1877 (it is now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery). After revealing the secrets of his magic to Nimue, a lady of the lake, Merlin was imprisoned by her in a hawthorn tree. This was a story Burne-Jones had already illustrated in a mural design on the walls of the Oxford Union building and as a gouache for James Leathart. After 1870, when the crisis of Burne-Jones's involvement with Maria Zambaco had come to a head, the tale took on a deeply personal meaning for him. These studies record the early stages of Burne-Jones's search for a satisfactory form for the head of Merlin.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper unique graphite
30 November 2019 – 8 March 2020
2020-03-08
30 November 2019 – 8 March 2020
2020-03-08
2019-11-30
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (Lyon, France)
2019-11-30
Le Drapé. De Léonardo da Vinci à Maurizio Cattelan
Loan-out
Three Studies for ‘The Beguiling of Merlin’
support: 323 × 222 mm
Bequeathed by A.N. MacNicholl 1916
<p>In 1872 Burne-Jones began work on the <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> 'The Beguiling of Merlin', which was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1877 (it is now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery). After revealing the secrets of his magic to Nimue, a lady of the lake, Merlin was imprisoned by her in a hawthorn tree. This was a story Burne-Jones had already illustrated in a mural design on the walls of the Oxford Union building and as a <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/g/gouache" title="Glossary definition for 'Gouache'"><span>gouache</span></a> for James Leathart. After 1870, when the crisis of Burne-Jones's involvement with Maria Zambaco had come to a head, the tale took on a deeply personal meaning for him. These studies record the early stages of Burne-Jones's search for a satisfactory <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/f/form" title="Glossary definition for 'Form'"><span>form</span></a> for the head of Merlin.</p>
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2004-09-02T00:00:00
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adults arm Arthurian legend body characters clothing and personal items drapery hat head / face literature and fiction magic and occultism man Merlin objects people religion and belief spell tales, legends and traditional