Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898)
Provenance
Sir George and Lady Elizabeth Lewis (a gift from the artist in 1881);
Thence by descent
In 1866 the celebrated lawyer George Lewis married his second wife, the beautiful Elizabeth Eberstadt, a passionate devotee of the arts. Elizabeth Lewis was the dedicatee ('EL') here, on the first page in a sketchbook given by the artist to the Lewises, which was split up for sale in 2016. The Lewises's home from 1876, 88 Portland Place, 'was a meeting point for artists and musicians and none were more welcome than Burne-Jones and his family who became great friends of them and their children. Burne-Jones may have been in love with Elizabeth, like so many other younger women in his circle whose affection and attention he craved in later years; after his death she destroyed many of his letters, feeling they were too intimate to be allowed to survive for others to read. The design of an older man comforting a fearful young woman on this sheet probably conveyed a personal message. The charming illustrated letters that Burne-Jones sent to Lewis’ daughter Katie were published and show a wonderful paternal and humorous side of the artist.' (John Christian)