Studies of Hands for "The Bath of Venus"; verso: Study for "Flamma Vestalis" c. 19th century

Editor: This is "Studies of Hands for 'The Bath of Venus'; verso: Study for 'Flamma Vestalis'" by Edward Burne-Jones. It's a pencil drawing, quite delicate. What do you make of it? Curator: The materiality of this sketch reveals the artist's process. The paper, the pencil strokes – these are the tools of production. Considering Burne-Jones's larger tapestries, how does this more humble medium inform our understanding of Victorian craft and labor? Editor: So, seeing this as a study, it’s less about the final artwork and more about the artist's method? Curator: Precisely. The repetition of the hand motif suggests the artist is striving for a certain level of refinement, but through a repetitive process of sketching. What do you think it meant for the artist to use a simple pencil in that era? Editor: It's interesting to consider the materials used in relation to the final, often grander, product. I'll remember that next time.