Evelyn De Morgan was one of the leading painters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her artwork was an incredible reflection of her talent and beauty through powerful messages promoting peace and understanding of the human experience. Perhaps her most famous work, Lux in Tenebris, or Light in Darkness, depicts a black woman dressed in white. In this composition, a woman’s path opens as she stretches her right hand. She carries an olive branch, representing a way forward to peace through the storm. De Morgan was a pacifist in every sense of the word. Her response to the horrors of World War I echoes throughout her work.
Today, De Morgan’s paintings explode with magic and strong, female figures. They feature expert pajamas stirring witchy brews and wonderwomen flying through quarter clouds, calling on rain, thunder and lightning. More than simply figures of strength, the subjects displayed in these works showcase the artist’s inspiration derived from mythology, the supernatural, and animism. Her painting Boreas and Oreithyia is an excellent example of her strong sense of draw to mythological subjects. Indeed, the work amplifies and extends her already expansive explorations of the human body.
The artist imaginatively personified Death in transformative ways. At one point death became an intimidating dark angel with a scythe, and at another moment, monstrous sea creatures or even hourglasses. These representations resonate powerfully with the collective trauma of WWI. De Morgan sought to depict the day-to-day grim experiences people endured while surviving through the war. Jean McMeakin, an art historian, noted that “Death was real for them in a way that perhaps we’ve largely forgotten these days.” This commentary aims to illustrate how De Morgan’s life in London throughout the war shaped her creative output.
At its core, De Morgan’s artwork is activism. Rich narratives highlight spiritual fulfillment and happiness above all else. Her belief that “You must never praise war” and “The Devil invented it, and you can have no” reflects her staunch opposition to violence. Indeed, this pacifist perspective permeated her artistic expression, as she often contrasted starkly apocalyptic imagery with symbols of hope. McMeakin stated that “often with [her] apocalyptic scenes, there is a glimmer of hope, or a part of the painting that is calm.”
In addition to her thematic explorations, De Morgan’s style foreshadowed the psychedelic painting movements of the 1970s. Her creations explode with rainbow hues and surreal aspects. The monsters she brings to life, though, are totally at home alongside the best contemporary fantasy art and would find kindred spirits in any modern visual storytelling. Her dreamy productions offer a glimpse into her rare understanding of mortality that pairs beauty with nostalgia in an extraordinary way.
Evelyn De Morgan was married to William De Morgan, a pioneer ceramicist and writer. They painted an artistic paradise that flourished with inspiration and collective work. This dynamic fraternity included titans such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt. These professional and personal connections proved invaluable to De Morgan’s artistic development. Most importantly, they situated her within a much larger cultural context that had an enormous impact on her work.
De Morgan is convinced of the eternal nature of art, that it will always be valued. She is aware that life is short and provisional. Her commitment to depicting the depth and realness of the human experience through artistic practice is even more necessary today.
Leave a Reply