Evelyn De Morgan

Over the road from our Wulfruna Street Campus, the Wolverhampton Art Gallery is recreating their 1907 exhibition of Evelyn de Morgan’s work (Painted Dreams: The Art of Evelyn De Morgan - Wolverhampton Arts & Culture). In 1907, it was very rare to dedicate an exhibition to a solo female artist and the gallery is looking to highlight the moment and artwork of this phenomenal yet often overlooked artist, reuniting 30 of her key works again in Wolverhampton.

Evelyn de Morgan (1855-1919) was a painter who moved with the Pre-Raphaelites such as Dante Gabriel Rosetti and William Holman Hunt. She was married to William de Morgan, who was himself a potter, tile designer and novelist. Her work focuses on figures, often a female figure, painted in the styles of Aestheticism and Symbolism, using imagery and metaphor to depict themes and ideals that were important to her. The primary themes of her work reflect her beliefs in the Spiritual, what we would now call feminism and her support for female suffrage, and war from the perspective of a pacifist watching the First World War play out.

Her work is beautiful and the feat of putting on a solo exhibition as a female artist in 1907 is one that was both hard to achieve and a testament to her artistry and skill. Despite this, she is often overlooked and this Times article about an exhibition in 1999 at Wandsworth Museum of her work reiterates the idea of her work not getting the recognition it deserved. It is therefore pleasing that this opportunity to see such a  a fantastic display of her artwork, where the vibrant colours and enigmatic figures of her art are proudly presented is available again.

In honour of Evelyn de Morgan, we at the library have put together a little display of our own. Entering Harrison Library, you will pass a table of books on Evelyn de Morgan and her compatriots in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. De Morgan is scattered throughout these works, rarely the sole subject like her male counterparts. Open on the table, we have a reproduction of a painting of hers in the contemporaneous journal The Studio (volume 25, 1902). Turning the page, you can read a brief paragraph on her and see how her art was received in her lifetime. The library recently purchased,  Evelyn and William de Morgan: A marriage of Arts and Crafts, a book based on a past exhibition detailing the artistic partnership that came from the marriage between Evelyn and her husband. The book Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood looks at the Pre-Raphaelite women who were often overshadowed. Perhaps Painted Dreams can help revitalise Evelyn de Morgan again and bring her into the spotlight once more.

Beyond de Morgan herself, our display contextualises her artwork with books on her contemporaries, friends, and influences, from the Rosettis, to William Morris, and works that discuss the Pre-Raphaelites. Check out our online collection for a selection on books about the Pre-Raphaelites