The Merciful Knight (1863, Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery) (1) was the largest and most important of the four works with which Burne-Jones made his debut at the Old Watercolour Society in 1864. The subject was taken from the life of an eleventh century knight who was miraculously embraced by a wooden figure of Christ as he prayed at a roadside shrine after forgiving the murderer of his kinsman. It received hostile criticism in the press for its strange composition and figure drawing as well as for its legendary subject, yet it was also one of the works, which excited young artists into an admiration of Burne-Jones.(2) It remained Burne-Jones's favourite among his early works, and in 1894 he tried to borrow it back from its owner, Leathart, to make a large oil version. When Leathart's collection was exhibited at the Goupil Gallery in 1896 after his death, Burne-Jones was impressed by the depths of emotion he found in these early works: `they looked so sincere... There was such a passion to express in them and so little ability to do it. They were like earnest passionate stammering'.(3) It is pleasing that a work of such importance to the artist should be represented in this catalogue in the form of a Hollyer photograph. 1. For the painting: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1975, Burne-Jones, (catalogue of the exhibition by John Christian), number 45, reproduced in colour. 2. For Walter Crane's reaction to the early paintings of Burne-Jones, see this catalogue number 119 3. Mary Lago, editor, Burne-Jones Talking, (John Murray, London 1981), page 106, PLATE 68 b