MARGARET BURNE-JONES (1885) †NCM 1900-671
The convex mirror appears to represent a halo; Burne-Jones presents his daughter as pure, angelic and innocent. Just two years after this portrait was finished Margaret married John William Mackail, who was one of the leading Classical scholars of his time and the future biographer of William Morris
Burne-Jones also painted portraits as well as taking inspiration from medieval art, religion and myths; however, he only took commissions from friends or well-known people. This meant that he was able to capture the strengths and frailties of his subjects in a more personal way. His daughter Margaret was often the subject or model for many paintings. In this portrait, a twenty-yearold Margaret is seated in front of a convex mirror, resulting in the domestic interior becoming inverted and the viewer entering a dream-like world. The room reflected is her own. Her beauty bears an uncanny resemblance to his depictions of the female figure within his other works, showing a stylistic preference to portray women in this particular way.
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