KING COPHETUA & THE BEGGAR MAID (1884) † NCM 1900-673 The maid’s pale skin and plainness focusses attention on her innate beauty, contrasting with the dark ornate surroundings. The beggar maid does not return the gaze of the king but instead turns to the viewer. Pre-Raphaelites were fond of these asymmetrical gazes; the man would look at the woman who would face the viewer or stare off into the distance.
Based on Alfred Tennyson’s poem ‘The Beggar Maid’, this painting became synonymous with the artist, and was reproduced time and time again. When it was shown at the Grosvenor gallery, London in 1884 it was the highest point of Burne-Jones’s career and considered his greatest achievement. It sums up his philosophy of art, that a life lived through beauty was everybody’s birthright, regardless of social position or wealth. This work tells the story of the ancient Ethiopian King Cophetua who disdained women and was immune to love. However, one day he saw a beggar girl and, falling instantly in love with her, vowed to make her his Queen. The beggar maid’s face looks very much like Georgiana Burne-Jones (1840-1920), the wife of the artist. The painting might represent the artist’s feelings for his wife, and the message that love is more important than wealth or power. 20