Passing of Venus

1926

Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Designer John Henry Dearle, Designer Merton Abbey Tapestry Works, Manufacturer Percy Sheldrick, Weaver

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About the Artwork

Designed in the tradition of medieval millefleurs tapestries, Burne-Jones depicts Venus riding on her chariot drawn by doves. Her son Cupid goes before her, drawing his bow as his foot rests on a prostrate woman; the three women to the left have already been vanquished by his arrows. A group of women to the right flee in terror from Cupid, who is looking in their direction.

Title Passing of Venus

Artwork Date 1926

Makers Edward Coley Burne-Jones (Designer) English, 1833 - 1898 John Henry Dearle (Designer) British, 1859 - 1932 Merton Abbey Tapestry Works (Manufacturer) British, founded 1881 Percy Sheldrick (Weaver) British, 1890 - 1979

Medium Wool, silk, and linen

Dimensions Overall: 8 15/16 × 19 1/4 feet (107 inches × 19 feet 3 inches)

Classification Tapestries

Department European Sculpture and Dec Arts

Credit Gift of George G. Booth

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 27.152

Markings

Signed Signed, on border: MERTON ABBEY Singed, on border, on galoon, lower right: P.S. [weaver Percy Sheldrick]

Inscriptions Inscribed, in two scrolls in the upper border: Comment des jeunes colombeaux | En ung char qui fut riche et beau | Mainent Venus en lost d'Amours | pour lui faire hatif secours [translated: "How some young doves pull Venus in a chariot that was rich and beautiful to the group of loves in order to help them without delay"]

Provenance

1922, commissioned by George Booth for the Detroit Institute of Arts

1927-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

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Exhibition History

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Published References

Burne-Jones, P. "Notes on Some Unfinished Work of Sir Edward Burne-Jones," Magazine of Art 23 (1900): p. 162.

"Noteworthy Handicrafts," Art Journal (1908): p. 182.

Vallance, A. "Some examples of tapestry designed by Sir E. Burne-Jones and Mr. J.H. Dearle," The Studio 45, no. 141 (November 1908): p. 16, 18 (57?).

"A Merton Abbey Tapestry for America," The Times. London, December 23, 1923, p. [?].

Marillier, H.C. History of the Merton Abbey Tapestry Works. London, 1927, pp. 21-22, 35.

Coulin Weibel, A. "The Passing of Venus," Bulletin of the DIA 8, no. 7 (April 1927): pp. 78-80, p. 79 (ill.).

Zick, G. "Der Triumph der Liebe. Zur Quellen- und Motivegeschichte eines Bildteppiches nach Edward Burne-Jones," Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch 34 (1972): pp. 307-348.

Parry, L. "The Tapestries of Edward Burne-Jones," Apollo 102 (November 1975): p. 328.

"Textiles in Detroit," The Magazine Antiques 114, no. 3 (September 1978): p. 392.

Elzea, R. and B. Elzea. The Pre-Raphaelite Era, 1848-1914. Exh. cat. Wilmington, 1976, nos. 4-63, p. 97 (ill.).

Tabakoff, S.K. Arts and Crafts in Detroit. Exh. cat., DIA. Detroit, November 26, 1976-January 16, 1977, no. 147, p. 122 (ill.).

Cavallo, A. and M. Gromes. Textile Masterpieces. Exh. cat., DIA. Detroit, Septemeber 13, 1978-January 14, 1979, no. 17.

Johnson, D. L. Fantastic Illustration and Design in Britain 1850-1930. Exh. cat., Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art and Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Providence and New York, March 28-November 13, 1979 and June 5-September 2, 1979, respectively, no. 33.

Fairclough, O. and E. Leary. Textiles by William Morris and Morris & Co., 1861-1940. London, 1981, p. 63, 78 no. 28, 111.

Parry, L. William Morris Textiles. New York, 1983, pp. 117-9, 125.

Parry, L. "The Revival of the Merton Abbey Tapestry Works," Journal of the William Morris Society, vol. 5 (1983): pp. 16-22.

Standen, E. European Post-Medieval Tapestries and Related Hangings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1985, vol. 2, no. 135.

Designing Utopia: The Art of William Morris and His Circle. Exh. cat., Katonah Museum of Art. Katonah, 1992, unnumbered.

Raynor, V. "Designs by William Morris and His Circle of Utopian Artists," New York Times (March 8, 1992).

Barnet, P. and M. Wilkinson. Decorative Arts 1900: Highlights from Private Collections in Detroit. Exh. cat., DIA. Detroit, 1993 [not in catalogue].

Menz. 1994, p. 68.

Henshaw, J., ed. The Detroit Institute of Arts: A Visitor's Guide. DIA. Detroit, 1995, p. 233.

Joubert, F., A. Lefébure, and P.-F. Bertrand. Histoire de la Tapisserie en Europe, du Moyen Age a nos Jours. Paris, 1995, pp. 318-20, 352.

Woven Splendor: Five Centuries of European Tapestry at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Exh. cat., DIA. Detroit, July-September 1996, cat. no. 19, p. 70-71, (color repro.) p. 68-9, (color det.) p. 72 [entry by A. Darr].

Wildman, S. & J. Christian. Edward Burne-Jones: Victorian Artist-Dreamer. Exh. cat., Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, June 1-September 6, 1998, no. 101, pp. 235-237.

Kirkham, P. "Morris & Company." In The Beauty of Life: William Morris and the Art of Design. D. Waggoner, ed. Exh. cat. San Marino and New Haven, 2003, pp. 61-62.

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Edward Coley Burne-Jones; Merton Abbey Tapestry Works; (Supervisory) John Henry Dearle, Passing of Venus, 1926, wool, silk, and linen. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of George G. Booth, 27.152.