Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt., A.R.A., R.W.S. (Birmingham 1833-1898 London)

This study relates to the last painting in a series of seven illustrating the legend of St George. The finished oil, Saint George and the Dragon: The return of the Princess (Bristol City Art Gallery) shows Princess Sabra walking hand in hand with St George while female musicians form a procession around them. The paintings were commissioned in 1865 by Myles Birket Foster (1825-1899) to decorate his home at Witley, Surrey. Burne-Jones made a preliminary set of highly finished pencil drawings, six of which are at the British Museum and there are more than sixty preparatory drawings in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery collection.

We are grateful to John Christian for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.