Every art museum has at least one artwork that inspires and moves people to such an extent that they embark on pilgrimages to see it in person. At the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, it is Frederic William Burton’s 1864 watercolour Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs that arouses this level of devotion.
Inspired by a medieval Danish ballad, Burton’s painting depicts a fleeting encounter between star-crossed lovers. Painted for an exhibition, this large watercolour is impressively detailed and vividly coloured. To preserve its vibrancy while ensuring that its legions of fans have access, the artwork is available to view for just a few hours each week. These special circumstances have created an aura of mystery around the picture and have, no doubt, added to its allure.
The watercolour was an obvious choice for the cover of the Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art, a companion publication to the exhibition of the same name. The painting is the hook and those who take the bait will be rewarded with the discovery of a skilled artist who was also a dedicated arts administrator, helping to found the National Gallery of Ireland and later becoming the director of the National Gallery in London.
The illustrated essays echo the thematic layout of the exhibition. They reveal Burton’s early interest in antiquities and the west of Ireland, his success as a society portrait painter, his meticulous designs for ceremonial metalwork and publications, his friendship with the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and his 20-year directorship of London’s National Gallery.
For those with an interest in the painting, the essays describe the circumstances surrounding the creation of such a romantic image, including Burton’s friendship with Whitley Stokes, a scholar and translator of medieval texts, and his association with Irish antiquarians and their rigorous approach to recording artefacts. He was also friends with former pre-raphaelite artists in the 1860s, which influenced his style. Perhaps most tantalising for admirers of the watercolour, is the disclosure, by the independent curator Marie Bourke, that Burton had a doomed romance.
In 1868, he began a portrait of a young Irish aristocrat, Mary Palliser, and the two became engaged over the course of the sittings. However, the pair never married. A friend of Burton’s, Lady Gregory, hinted in her autobiography that Burton postponed the marriage until his financial situation improved. “Yet,” she wrote, “the moment never came.”
For those hoping to discover more about the artist, we have included reproductions of a selection of lesser-known artworks and watercolours held in private collections. One such item, and arguably the highlight of Burton’s work, is the elegant portrait of Mrs George Smith, neé Elizabeth Blakeway. This large-scale, privately owned watercolour showcases Burton’s skill in rendering intricate costume details and skin tones in a challenging medium. It was the last significant portrait he completed before he became the director of London’s National Gallery in 1874.
We hope this publication, the most extensive to date on the subject, will drive new research and encourage a wider appreciation of this significant 19th-century artist and museum director.
Claire Crowley is a curatorial assistant at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, and the editor of Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art. The exhibition runs until 14 January
Inspired by a medieval Danish ballad, Burton’s painting depicts a fleeting encounter between star-crossed lovers. Painted for an exhibition, this large watercolour is impressively detailed and vividly coloured. To preserve its vibrancy while ensuring that its legions of fans have access, the artwork is available to view for just a few hours each week. These special circumstances have created an aura of mystery around the picture and have, no doubt, added to its allure.
The watercolour was an obvious choice for the cover of the Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art, a companion publication to the exhibition of the same name. The painting is the hook and those who take the bait will be rewarded with the discovery of a skilled artist who was also a dedicated arts administrator, helping to found the National Gallery of Ireland and later becoming the director of the National Gallery in London.
The illustrated essays echo the thematic layout of the exhibition. They reveal Burton’s early interest in antiquities and the west of Ireland, his success as a society portrait painter, his meticulous designs for ceremonial metalwork and publications, his friendship with the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and his 20-year directorship of London’s National Gallery.
For those with an interest in the painting, the essays describe the circumstances surrounding the creation of such a romantic image, including Burton’s friendship with Whitley Stokes, a scholar and translator of medieval texts, and his association with Irish antiquarians and their rigorous approach to recording artefacts. He was also friends with former pre-raphaelite artists in the 1860s, which influenced his style. Perhaps most tantalising for admirers of the watercolour, is the disclosure, by the independent curator Marie Bourke, that Burton had a doomed romance.
In 1868, he began a portrait of a young Irish aristocrat, Mary Palliser, and the two became engaged over the course of the sittings. However, the pair never married. A friend of Burton’s, Lady Gregory, hinted in her autobiography that Burton postponed the marriage until his financial situation improved. “Yet,” she wrote, “the moment never came.”
For those hoping to discover more about the artist, we have included reproductions of a selection of lesser-known artworks and watercolours held in private collections. One such item, and arguably the highlight of Burton’s work, is the elegant portrait of Mrs George Smith, neé Elizabeth Blakeway. This large-scale, privately owned watercolour showcases Burton’s skill in rendering intricate costume details and skin tones in a challenging medium. It was the last significant portrait he completed before he became the director of London’s National Gallery in 1874.
We hope this publication, the most extensive to date on the subject, will drive new research and encourage a wider appreciation of this significant 19th-century artist and museum director.
Claire Crowley is a curatorial assistant at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, and the editor of Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art. The exhibition runs until 14 January
