The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon by Edward Burne-Jones (Interpretation and Analysis)

The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon
Source: Museo de Arte de Ponce

Today, I want to continue discussing the Pre-Raphaelite movement with The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon by Edward Burne-Jones. Although Pre-Raphaelite art is not something I know much about, it is a style that I find very attractive on an aesthetic level.

As I said yesterday, if you want to know more about the style, I suggest you read this excellent essay; however, the movement can generally be described as a paradoxical embrace of realism and a rejection of genre painting, the practice of depicting scenes of everyday life in paintings. Instead, Pre-Raphaelite artists believed art should portray “serious” subjects, such as literature, poetry, mythology, and history. In particular, they drew inspiration from medieval art, as is evidenced by The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon.

As the title suggests, the painting depicts the mythical King Arthur in the midst of his final sleep; according to legend, Arthur was brought to the isle of Avalon after his final battle with Mordred to sleep until such a time that he was needed again. Burne-Jones places his Arthur on an elaborate bier, surrounded by mournful women who hold symbols of kingship and musical instruments.

While the painting was certainly inspired by medieval legends and art, it is worthwhile to note that the grandiose, romanticized images that modern viewers typically associate with King Arthur are largely a product of nineteenth century imaginations. After the medieval period, Arthurian legend fell out of fashion until the rise of the Romantic movement. These modern writers embroidered and exaggerated the more traditional medieval tales to fit their own literary tastes and to represent their own ideals. In short, paintings like The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon have very little to do with medieval art or ideas. 

The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon
Source: Museo de Arte de Ponce

Instead, the painting is an example of what nineteenth century thinkers thought the medieval period should be. In terms of style, images like The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon differ wildly from medieval art, which tended to have little regard for proportionality and realism. From an ideological standpoint, Victorian depictions of the medieval period rarely acknowledged the less than savory elements of the era, choosing instead to associate the period with honor, virtue, and chivalry. These associations were important in Victorian England, as the creation of a grand, mythological past undergirded the ideas about British superiority that allowed Britain to create a vast colonial empire. While these ideas weren’t necessarily spelled out, they provided an almost subliminal background to Victorian life.

From a psychological and cultural perspective, paintings like The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon represented a British legacy of grandeur that contemporary viewers could connect to, providing unspoken justification for Britain’s rule over their colonies.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.