Artwork
The Car of Love (Love's Wayfaring)
The Car of Love (Love's Wayfaring) is an oil painting by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Created in 1898, The Car of Love (Love’s Wayfaring) is an oil painting by Edward Burne‑Jones.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1898, The Car of Love (Love’s Wayfaring) is an oil painting by Edward Burne‑Jones. It belongs to the later phase of his career, when his work had moved beyond the early influence of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and was firmly situated within the aesthetic concerns of the Pre‑Raphaelites. The picture is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s permanent collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a chariot drawn by a procession of nude figures, its canopy swathed in rich purple drapery. A solitary nude rider stands atop the vehicle, clutching a matching cloth and gazing forward, suggesting a journey or pilgrimage. The classical architecture in the background frames the scene, reinforcing a timeless, mythic atmosphere.
Technique & Style
Architectural details, arched stone openings and columns, are rendered with precise perspective, echoing the Pre‑Raphaelites’ devotion to draftsmanship.
Burne‑Jones renders the human forms with meticulous line work and a smooth, almost sculptural modeling of flesh, characteristic of his mature style. The flowing purple fabric is painted with delicate gradations that convey both texture and movement. Architectural details, arched stone openings and columns, are rendered with precise perspective, echoing the Pre‑Raphaelites’ devotion to draftsmanship.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s broader effort to document the decorative arts and painting associated with the late‑19th‑century Arts and Crafts movement, of which Burne‑Jones was a central figure.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet (; 28 August 1833 – 17 June 1898) was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter.
- Cupid's Hunting Fields
The Feast of Peleus
Orestes
The Fates Gathering in the Stars
Apostles and Angels at the Assumption (copy of the fresco in the cupola of Parma Cathedral)
The Building of the 'Argo'
Pluto in his Chariot
The Fates Gathering in the Stars
Sturm der Giganten gegen den Olymp
The Building of the 'Argo'
Ezekiel's Wheels