Burne-Jones and Lancelot: Passion, Guilt and the Quest for the Grail

Burne-Jones and Lancelot: Passion, Guilt and the Quest for the Grail

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Burne-Jones replicates the composition of one of the tapestries devoted to the legend of the Holy Grail, which he designed for Morris & Co. The subject is taken from Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, a sixteenth-century reinterpretation of the Arthurian legends that held a strong fascination for Morris and Burne-Jones from the earliest stages of their friendship, which began at Oxford University.
Edward Burne-Jones - Lancelot at the Chapel of the Holy Grail, 1896 Edward Burne-Jones - Lancelot at the Chapel of the Holy Grail, 1896

The artist depicts the moment when Lancelot, having reached the chapel of the Holy Grail, falls into a deep sleep. An angel appears to him in a dream and announces that his quest will be in vain, as he is morally unworthy of finding the Grail because of his sinful relationship with Guinevere.

In this late-mature work, Burne-Jones condenses all the characteristic elements of his art: his interest in medieval subjects and mystical settings merges with a reflection on the destructive consequences of adultery and the fallibility of a heroic model of masculinity. The painter also revisits the stylistic influence of the early Renaissance, which was decisive for the early stages of his work.

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