The Morning of the Resurrection 1882

Editor: So, here we have "The Morning of the Resurrection" by Edward Burne-Jones, created around 1882 using tempera and oil paint. It's hard to ignore the texture created by those materials; it almost feels woven. How do you see this piece? Curator: What strikes me is Burne-Jones' deliberate choice to use tempera and oil paint together. This wasn’t just about aesthetics; it was a very conscious engagement with the methods and labor of earlier Renaissance painters he admired, before the dominance of purely oil-based techniques. He's challenging notions of progress in art, isn't he? Editor: That's fascinating! I was only thinking about the look of the paint itself, but what you’re saying makes me think about his process. Do you think this embracing of older methods would have resonated with viewers at the time? Curator: Absolutely. The Pre-Raphaelites were invested in craft as a form of resistance against industrialization, where the repetitive action diminishes the artist’s own involvement, or even agency. Consider the social implications of the availability of pre-mixed oil paints versus the painstaking process of creating tempera from raw materials, like egg yolk, for example. That directly involves him. Editor: So it’s as much about the artist's connection to the materials and their making as it is about the final image. Did that philosophy change his role as artist for his patron? Curator: Precisely. Burne-Jones sought a return to an artistic integrity tied to hand production and individualized artistic agency. Now, how do you interpret the expressions of those figures at the tomb? Editor: Thinking about production makes them seem less detached; I suppose there is a consciousness in their expressions. I definitely understand now how the materiality connects deeply to the meaning here. Curator: It enriches our understanding to move from the surface to its roots.