Star of Bethlehem (painting) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Star of Bethlehem |
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| Artist | Edward Burne-Jones |
| Year | c.1885–1890 |
| Dimensions | 260 cm × 390 cm (101 in × 152 in) |
| Location | Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham |
The Star of Bethlehem is a beautiful painting created using watercolour by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. It shows the story of the Adoration of the Magi, where three wise men visit baby Jesus. In the painting, an angel holds the bright star of Bethlehem that guided them.
The city of Birmingham asked Burne-Jones to create this painting in 1887. It was for their new Museum and Art Gallery. Burne-Jones was already a respected artist, having been made an honorary president of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. This painting was very large for a watercolour, measuring about 101 by 152 inches. It was the biggest watercolour made in the 1800s! The artist finished it in 1890, and people first saw it in 1891.
How the Painting Was Created
The idea for The Star of Bethlehem painting actually came from a tapestry design. In 1886, a man named John Prideaux Lightfoot asked William Morris and Burne-Jones to make a tapestry. It was meant to be a gift for their old college, Exeter College, Oxford. They decided the tapestry should show the "Adoration of the Magi."
Burne-Jones quickly agreed to the project. He finished a smaller design, called a modello, in 1887. This modello was a watercolour painting with added gold details. William Morris and his helper, John Henry Dearle, then used Burne-Jones's design. They created larger drawings, called cartoons, for the people who would weave the tapestry. They also changed some colours and added details like flowering plants.
The "Adoration of the Magi" tapestry was woven by Morris & Co. at Merton Abbey Mills. It took about two years to make. In 1890, it was shown in London before being given to Exeter College.
Popularity of the Tapestry
The "Adoration" tapestry became very popular. Many copies were made. You can find different versions in places like Eton College Chapel and the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. One is also in the Art Gallery of South Australia. The first tapestry still hangs in the Exeter College Chapel.
About the Painting Itself
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The request from Birmingham gave Burne-Jones a chance to create a large painting from his tapestry design. The colours in the painting are different from the original tapestry design. It has rich blue-greens. Because the painting is so big, Burne-Jones could add many small details. These details, especially in the clothing, were not possible in the tapestry version.
Burne-Jones had to work on a ladder to paint such a large piece. He even wrote that it was "a tiring thing it is physically to do, up my steps and down..." A photograph shows him on his ladder while working on the painting. The Star of Bethlehem was finished in 1890. It was shown in London in 1891 before moving to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. It has been there ever since.
Burne-Jones also used a similar angel pose in another work. He used it to illustrate a wildflower called "Star of Bethlehem" (Ornithogalum umbellatum). This was for his book, The Flower Book. This book was a collection of watercolours inspired by flower names. He worked on it between 1882 and 1898.
See also
In Spanish: La estrella de Belén (pintura) para niños
