The artwork titled “Sidonia von Bork” was created by the artist Edward Burne-Jones in the year 1860. Executed in watercolor and gouache, it stands as an exemplar of the Romanticism movement. This portrait is notable for its dimensions, measuring 171 by 33 centimeters. It currently resides in the Tate Britain, located in London, United Kingdom.
The artwork captures a female figure robed in an elaborate intertwined pattern that demands attention both for its decorative complexity and for how it contours the subject’s form. Most striking in the composition is the prominence of the heavy, ornate garment, which showcases a labyrinth of darkened interlacing that appears both as a textile design and a symbolic entrapment. The subject’s gaze is directed away from the viewer, lending an air of introspection or quietude. The careful application of watercolor and gouache heightens the detail of her attire and the subtlety of her features.
Details within the scene suggest a narrative element; in the background, there are other figures, implying a social or historical context. The attention to texture and pattern within the dress, and the contrast of the warm flesh tones with the cool, dark hues of the intricate garment, exemplify the Romantic interest in beauty, emotion, and the grandeur of the past. The portrait’s elongated proportions are accentuated by its vertical orientation, and the interaction of figure and background amplifies the depth of the pictorial space.
