Welcome to the House 1905

Edward Burne-Jones made this drawing, Welcome to the House, with graphite and watercolor on paper. I am thinking about how the artist would have coaxed this image into being. The blue circular frame gives the scene an almost dreamlike quality. It's like we're peering into a memory, or a vision. There's a softness to the lines and colours that makes you feel like you could step right into the scene. I imagine Burne-Jones, carefully layering the watercolor washes, letting the colors blend and bleed into each other. Look at the angel's robes, how the light seems to shimmer and glow. What might he have been thinking as he worked? Was he seeking to capture some elusive truth about faith and hope? There's a sense of intimacy and tenderness in the way the angel touches the child. That single gesture has the power to communicate volumes. It reminds me of other artists like Paula Rego, who similarly explore psychological and emotional states. Artists share ideas, you know, it’s an ongoing conversation. And maybe in this conversation, we can explore all kinds of things together.