Star of Bethlehem

Star of Bethlehem, a large-scale watercolour on paper completed in 1890 and held at Birmingham Museums Trust, is one of Burne-Jones's most ambitious works on paper and one of the most significant religious compositions of his late career. The subject — the Adoration of the Magi, guided by the star to the nativity — allowed him to bring together virtually every element of his mature decorative vision: processional figures, lavish costume, hierarchical spatial arrangement, and the warm yet restrained palette associated with sacred narrative. Birmingham Museums Trust holds the world's most important public collection of Burne-Jones's work, and this painting is among its central holdings. The watercolour was produced at a scale that rivals his oil paintings in ambition, demonstrating his mastery of the medium's capacity for rich, layered colour. The angel figure bringing the star is particularly celebrated for its visionary, otherworldly presence.

Watercolour and bodycolour on paper at monumental scale, with densely worked passages of layered colour building up a richness and depth that approaches the visual weight of oil painting. Burne-Jones exploits the medium's capacity for glowing, translucent passages alongside more opaque, jewel-like areas of intense colour.