Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt., A.R.A., R.W.S.

Anne Maria (also known as Augusta or Gussie) Jones was one of three sisters from Hull who made a living in London as artist’s models. Her sister Mary Emma was an actress who used the stage name ‘Miss Clive’ – she was Fred Sandy’s muse and mistress and appears in many of his best pictures. Emelie Eyre (Milly) Jones, the youngest of the sisters, was also an actress and modelled for Albert Moore, Leighton, Whistler and for Sandys. Gussie also posed for the Pre-Raphaelite circle and amongst those who celebrated her strong profile and wealth of golden hair were Charles Halle, Rossetti, Simeon Solomon, and Edward Poynter to whom this drawing was given by his brother-in-law Edward Burne-Jones as a demonstration of their mutual artistic attraction to her. Georgiana Burne-Jones described her as ‘a noble looking girl’ for whom the artist had ‘much regard and respect’ (Georgiana Burne-Jones, Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones, London, 1904, p. 302, p. 360) She posed for several important pictures by Burne-Jones in the 1860s, including the watercolour Astrologia of 1865 (Christie’s, New York, 11 July 2011, lot 12) and in the contemporary oil painting Princess Sabra in the Garden (Musée d’Orsay). She seems to have ceased modelling in the later 1860s, perhaps when she married the designer and architect Frederick Vincent Hart.

On the reverse of the present drawing are two humorous caricatures by Burne-Jones of his closest friend William Morris. One of the sketches is inscribed 'Poeta non Fit' (the poet is not yet done) and depicts the great designer and writer, pompously leaning against a pedestal and orating to an unseen audience. The other sketch depicts him slumped in his chair and continuing to orate with little care about whether he is being listened to. Both Burne-Jones and Poynter were very fond of Morris but had also had to endure interminably long evenings in which he had insisted on reading to them at length from his epic poems and translations. Georgiana Burne-Jones admitted that she had sometimes had to bite her own fingers or stick pins in herself to prevent her falling asleep when Morris was in a particularly verbal mood. The caricatures were clearly shared with Poynter to tease Morris and Burne-Jones could sometimes be cruel in his humour towards Morris, but here it is more gentle. It is typical of other examples in the British Museum which poke fun at Morris’ and his speeches.