Sandals and Wings, for "Perseus and the Sea Nymphs"; verso: Drapery Study, for St. Catherine window(?) c. 1877

Editor: Here we have Edward Burne-Jones' drawing, "Sandals and Wings, for 'Perseus and the Sea Nymphs'". It's a delicate pencil sketch. The wings seem so carefully observed. What do you make of this preliminary study? Curator: Notice how Burne-Jones, even in a sketch, painstakingly renders the craft of the wings and sandals. He emphasizes the material process, not just the mythical narrative. The labour invested in these imagined objects elevates them beyond mere props. What does that emphasis on the tangible suggest to you about Victorian anxieties surrounding industrial production? Editor: It's interesting to consider his artistic practice in relation to the broader socio-economic context. Thanks for helping me see that!