Love Between Worlds: Edward Burne-Jones and the Theology of Art

This dissertation explores the theological formation of Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) and argues that his artistic vision was shaped by and became a practice of theology. Burne-Jones was drawn to the controversial Oxford ‘Tractarian’ Movement and pursued education at the University of Oxford to become an Anglican priest. He was inspired by John Henry Newman, who lived and preached in Birmingham during Burne-Jones’s adolescence. Contrary to most scholarship, I argue for the continuing prevalence of the Tractarian theological perspective in his art, even after he decided not to preach or practise conventional religion. His art is deeply informed by the complex theological principles he studied. This becomes what I identify as a theology of art that considers and presents theological ideas not in words but in art.

I have conducted archival research into Burne-Jones’s personal history and education, and the theological figures, debates, and controversies that shaped him. This included letters and diaries of mentors and friends of Burne-Jones which have been scarcely accessed. Furthermore, Burne-Jones’s own university notebooks and letters have shown direct evidence of Burne-Jones’s theological knowledge. I have also pursued extensive research into theology and church history, particularly of Anglicanism before and in the nineteenth century. To understand how this translates into his artistic practice, I have researched and interpreted various works and projects of Burne-Jones, emphasising his methods of design. This has led to a wide-ranging assessment of his drawings in print rooms across Britain. Ultimately, I argue for the recurrence of the theological and artistic theme I call love between worlds, a concept connecting Burne-Jones’s study of the Tractarian notions of incarnation, sacramentality, and God’s love expressed through the economy of salvation in Christ, and the subject of the pursuit of romantic love that pervades Burne-Jones’s artistic projects.