Guardian 书评
As well as pre-Raphaelite sweetness and light there was "iron and granite" in Burne-Jones, who, despite his belief in the value of art as a force for social unity, improved his name (from Jones) and took a baronetcy. He did this on the grounds that it would please his son, causing his old friend William Morris to remark that he supposed "a man can be an ass for the sake of his children". The relationship that MacCarthy depicts with most warmth and subtlety is between Burne-Jones and Morris. Burne-Jones's mixed feelings of admiration, love and resentment played out in the series of cartoons he drew of them, him always thin and feeble, Morris fat and energetic. Of their last collaboration, the Kelmscott Press edition of Chaucer, Burne-Jones wrote that it was the sort of book they had dreamed of long ago at Oxford. For MacCarthy, too, who has written a monumental life of Morris, this magnificent and deeply felt biography brings with it a sense of completion, not least in its account of one of the greatest and most fruitful Victorian friendships. - Rosemary Hill As well as pre-Raphaelite sweetness and light there was "iron and granite" in Burne-Jones, who, despite his belief in the value of art as a force for social unity, improved his name (from Jones) and took a baronetcy. - Rosemary Hill.
Choice 评论
Edward Burne-Jones's personality was almost as elusive as his art. Evocative and mysterious, Burne-Jones once described his work as "a beautiful, romantic dream of something that never was, never will be." His gentle temperament was well known, as was his loyalty to William Morris from the time they met as students in the 1850s. They remained close friends for the rest of their lives within a circle of artists and designers notorious for their promiscuity and spitefulness. MacCarthy (fellow, Royal Society of Literature, UK), who previously published a biography titled William Morris (1995), now turns to Burne-Jones, revealing a more complex and passionate individual. She explores Burne-Jones's work in relation to the history of his life and friendships. It is the artist's outbursts of passion in particular that cast him in a new light. Above all, Burne-Jones's obsessive affair with his model, Maria Zambaco, comes as a shock. On one occasion he saved her from suicide by drowning, after which the two were found in the street, soaking wet and weeping uncontrollably. This is an insightful biography by an author who understands the art history but is equally adept at explaining the motivations of the late Victorians. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and above; general readers. P. A. Stirton Bard Graduate Center
《图书馆杂志》(Library Journal )书评
This detailed, engaging, and thoroughly researched biography is the most recent work on the English Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. Versed in the artistic culture of Victorian England, respected biographer MacCarthy (William Morris: A Life for Our Time) covers Burne-Jones's life from his early days in Oxford to his ascent as a respected artist. She explores his relationships with contemporaries such as fellow Pre-Raphaelite Dante Gabriel Rossetti and especially Arts and Crafts designer William Morris-Burne-Jones collaborated with Morris's interior design firm, Morris & Company, on numerous stained glass windows, tapestries, and illustrations for books (also published by Morris's Kelmscott Press). This work examines Burne-Jones's personal correspondence with these artists as well as with the women in his life: e.g., his wife, Georgie MacDonald; his mistress, the exotic Mary Zambaco; and other love interests, models, and inspirations for paintings and other artwork. VERDICT A highly recommended biography for anyone interested in the art and culture of Victorian England.-Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Univ. Lib., MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.