Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Burne-Jones had connections to the literary and intellectual world of Victorian Britain, and Alfred Lord Tennyson — Poet Laureate from 1850 until his death in 1892 — was among the figures who moved in overlapping circles with the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic movements. Burne-Jones illustrated editions of Tennyson's works and shared with him an interest in Arthurian legend and medieval atmosphere. A portrait of Tennyson by Burne-Jones would likely date from after his establishment as a major figure in the 1870s rather than the 1840 date in the database, which appears to be erroneous. The National Portrait Gallery holds a significant collection of Victorian literary and artistic portraits, and a Burne-Jones image of Tennyson would naturally fit its collecting priorities. Burne-Jones's portraits tend to be rarer than his figure compositions, making any example of documentary and aesthetic interest.

Burne-Jones's approach to portraiture, where practiced, applies his characteristic linear precision and smooth surface handling to the demands of individual likeness. Features are rendered with the same careful linear contour he used for ideal figures, but constrained by the actual physiognomy of the subject. The result tends to blend portraiture's documentary function with his decorative aesthetic instincts.