One of the first of many such watercolours of this early period, where the influence of Giorgione is evident in the landscape and the enigmatic subject matter. This painting can also been viewed as an early Aesthetic work with its harmonisation of colours and lack of a narrative element, seeming to just be a beautiful image and nothing more - art for it's own sake. There is a question as to whether it was painted before or after Burne-Jones's trip to Venice in the summer of 1862.
Manuscript illustrations from fol. 113r Le roman de la rose Shelfmark: Bodleian Library MS. Douce 195 Holding Institution: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford Date Statement: 15th century, end Place of Origin: France Language: French, Middle (ca. 1400-1600) Catalogue Description: Catalogue of Western Medieval Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries Author: Guillaume de Lorris Jean de Meun Burne-Jones and Morris visited the Bodleian library to look at manuscripts while they were students, so that from an early age they were aware of this script. Published in 1857, by Colnaghi, this photograph of a painting then attributed to Giorgione, was in the possession of George Howard. Burne-Jones is known to have collected photographs of Italian paintings and with its similarity to the fete champtres of Giorgione, it is likely that he was aware of the present photograph from an early date. When George Howard acquired this photograph is unknown, but its acquisition was most likely to have been suggested by Burne-Jones. The background buildings seen beyond a stretch of water have much in common with those in The Mill and the foreground figures anticipate those that appear in Girls in a Meadow (The Louvre) of 1861 and An Idyll ( Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery) of 1862.