Portrait of Margaret Burne-Jones 

Edward John Poynter rendered this drawing of Margaret Burne-Jones using graphite and white chalk on brown paper. Margaret, daughter of the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones, lived within a circle of artistic and intellectual elites, even marrying the art historian John William Mackail. The portrait captures Margaret’s youthful beauty, but it also hints at the societal expectations placed on women of her class. During the late 19th century, women were often confined to the domestic sphere, their identities largely defined by their relationships to men. Yet, within the Aesthetic movement, women like Margaret found avenues for self-expression and intellectual engagement. There’s a sense of quiet strength in Margaret’s gaze. It invites us to consider the complexities of her life and the roles she played within the cultural landscape of her time, and how she navigated the constraints and opportunities afforded to her.