The Red Bed

The Red Bed

The Red Bed, in which Burges died on 20 April 1881
Designer	William Burges
Date	1865-1867
Made in	London, England
Materials	Mahogany, carved and painted
Style / tradition	High Victorian Gothic, Pre-Raphaelite
Collection	The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford, UK

The Red Bed is a piece of painted furniture designed by the English architect and designer William Burges^[1] made between 1865 and 1867. Built of mahogany, painted blood red and decorated with imagery of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale,^[1] it was made for Burges's rooms at Buckingham Street, and later moved to his bedroom at The Tower House, the home he designed for himself in Holland Park. Burges wanted to fill his home with furniture covered with paintings, both ornaments and subjects; it not only did its duty as furniture, but spoke and told a story.^[2] Burges died in the bed, aged 53, on 20 April 1881.^[3]

The bed is now part of the collection of Burges furniture at The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum in Bedford.^[2]

Notes

References

• Crook, J. Mordaunt (2013). William Burges and the High Victorian Dream. Francis Lincoln. ISBN 978-0-7112-3349-2.
• U K Stationery Office (2011). Export of Objects of Cultural Interest 2010/11: 1 May 2010 - 30 April 2011. The Stationery Office. ISBN 978-0-10-851100-4.