"The large-scale unfinished painting (72in by 109in) depicts Tristram embracing his wife, Iseult of Brittany, who, according to Arthurian legend, he married after his lover, La Belle Iseult, the daughter of King Anguish of Ireland, was forced to marry Tristram’s uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. La Belle Iseult is portrayed in the left of the picture, rushing into the woods clutching a note for her maid, Brangwaine, the nude figure with her back turned, to deliver to Tristram. Mr Christian discovered a Burne-Jones sketch book in the archives of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge in which the artist jotted down compositional ideas during the 1870s, which featured a sketch bearing a near identical resemblance to the newly-emerged painting." Quoted from Rediscovered Edward Burne-Jones painting reveals artist's love-triangle angst, Roya Nikkhah, Daily Telegraph, 9 Sep 2012
This larger oil version of the subject with its deep recession contrasting with the foreground wood is less of a frieze-like composition found in the earlier design. The figures have become isolated. The painting has less of the original power and was thus distanced from the causative motivation, presumably this was unsatisfactory and led to its being put aside. The artist lost interest as it no longer reflected the intensity of the situation from which it was generated. In the composition of the painting Burne-Jones was recalling Piero di Cosimo's painting "Forest Fire" (c.1500-1505) which he had encountered in the Ashmolean Museum whilst still a student at Oxford and a clue to this derivation is given in the Fitzwilliam work list as follows in which he stated in 1871 that he wished to paint "a picture of the beginning of the world - with Pan and Echo and sylvan gods, and a forest full of centaurs and a wild background of woods, mountains and rivers". If you substitute the animals in the foreground for the figures, the similarities become apparent. Swinburne and Burne-Jones were corresponding with regard to the story of Tristram and Isolde in 1869, however Swinburne's version of the story was not published until 1882. In the letter of November 4 1869, Swinburne mentions the painting "The thought of your painting and Wagner''s music ought to abash but does stimulate me: but my only chance I am aware will be to adhere strongly to Fact and Reality - to shun Fiction as perilously akin to lying and make this piece of sung or spoken History a genuine bit of earnest work in these dim times. Ahem." (Letter held in Fitzwilliam Museum - The Swinburne letters Vol2 1869-75 p 51 Ed. Cecil Y Lang, pub 1959). The "Ahem" is possibly a veiled reference to the circumstances created by the affair with Maria Zambaco. Rossetti painted an episode from the story "Tristram and Isolde drinking the love potion" in 1867 (Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford acc. no P401).
Rediscovered Edward Burne-Jones painting reveals artist's love-triangle angst, Roya Nikkhah, Daily Telegraph, 9 Sept 2012