摘要
Edward Burne-Jones （1833-1898）, a pre-Raphaelite painter, was fascinated with astronomy, as noted in his memorials and accounts. In 1879, he executed cartoon drawings for a cycle on nine planets for the artisans of the William Morris Firm, who would transform them into stained-glass panels. The commission was for the decoration of Woodlands, the Victorian mansion of Baron Angus Holden （1833-1912）, a major of Bradford. Presently, seven of the cartoons--The Moon （Luna）, Earth （Terra）, Sol （Apollo）, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Evening Star--are in the Torre Abbey Museum in Torquay, UK, while the cartoon for Mars is part of the collection of drawings at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK, and the cartoon for Morning Star is located at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford, UK. In the creation of the Planets cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by cultural events of the time such as British scientific astronomical discoveries and British and Italian humanistic sources in literature and visual arts portraying astronomy. This essay art historically and iconographically examines the nine planets as celestial and terrestrial formations and astral spheres of good omen. It is composed of three sections. The first section discusses the history of the artistic commission; the second analyzes the stylistic and iconographical aspects of the Planets cycle; and the third section explains some of Burne-Jones＇s cultural sources for the Planets cycle as manifestations of seasonal transformations, heavenly and terrestrial realms, musical spheres, and visions of a benevolent cosmos.
