Evelyn De Morgan, (1855–1919)
The Sea Maidens/ Les Demoiselles de la mer, between circa 1885 and circa 1886
Oil on canvas
81.8 × 142.8 cm (32.2 × 56.2 ″)
De Morgan Centre
The Sea Maidens shows five long-haired mermaids. Their tails are inside the water, while their upper bodies are outside. They affectionately hold hands, four of them almost embracing, reaching for a fifth one, slightly separated from the group. It is a delicate depiction of sisterhood; it emanates strength by boasting an iconography of femininity at its best. Moreover, even though their bosoms are nude, they do not exude any frivolous sexuality. More on this painting
This group of five mermaids is perhaps linked to the story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. The little mermaid falls in love with a shipwrecked prince and so desperately wants to be human. Helped by a witch, she changes her tail into legs, but as a forfeit she loses the power of speech and is unable to tell the prince of her love. He falls in love with someone else and the little mermaid wishes to return to the sea. Her sisters sell their hair to the witch, to buy a knife with which the little mermaid can kill the prince and so become a mermaid again. But she cannot do this and drowns herself. More on this painting
Each sister is modeled on the same woman, a model whom Evelyn had a passionate relationship with. So close was the bond between artist and model that de Morgan was buried next to her. The Sea Maidens
Evelyn De Morgan (30 August 1855 – 2 May 1919) was
an English painter whose works were influenced by the style of the
Pre-Raphaelite movement. She was a follower of Pre-Raphaelist Edward
Burne-Jones. Her paintings exhibit spirituality; use of mythological, biblical,
and literary themes; the role of women; light and darkness as metaphors; life
and death; and allegories of war.
She was
born Mary Evelyn Pickering to upper middle class parents. Evelyn was educated
at home and started drawing lessons when she was 15. She went on to persuade
her parents to let her go to art school. At first they discouraged it, but in
1873 she was enrolled at the Slade School of Art. She was granted a scholarship
at Slade which entitled her to three years of financial assistance. However,
since the scholarship required that she draw nudes using charcoal and she did
not care for this technique, she eventually declined it.
She was also a pupil of her uncle John Roddam Spencer
Stanhope, who was a great influence on her works. Beginning in 1875, Evelyn
often visited him in Florence where he lived. This also enabled her to study
the great artists of the Renaissance; she was particularly fond of the works of
Botticelli. This influenced her to move away from the classical subjects
favored by the Slade school and to make her own style. She first exhibited in
1877 at the Grosvenor Gallery in London and continued to show her paintings
thereafter. More
on Evelyn De Morgan
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