“Flora”
Every time I see a new-to-me Evelyn De Morgan painting, I think, “this is my favorite one”. How can you not when she made pieces like these?
“Flora” is an oil on canvas painting by the English artist, Evelyn De Morgan, from 1894. Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers, and she is aptly depicted surrounded by greenery and flowers. This painting was made while Evelyn was visiting Florence, Italy. It obviously draws a lot of inspiration from Sandro Botticelli‘s, “Primavera“.
Flora is painted as the Goddess of Spring. She is standing in the painting, looking directly at the viewer. Her blues eyes stand out, she has red wavy hair, and her locks are shown moving with the wind. She is standing in front of a loquat tree that is loaded with fruit which it bears in the spring. She is wearing a long loose dress with flowy sleeves, reminiscent of ancient Rome. The ground by her feet is filled with colorful flowers.
The scroll at the bottom right is written in Italian. Translated, it reads, “I come down from Florence and am Flora. This city takes its name from flowers. Among the flowers I was born and now by a change of home I have my dwelling among the mountains of Scotia (Scotland). Welcome me, and may my treasure, amid northern mists, be dear to you.” Source.
De Morgan often traveled to Florence to visit her uncle, the artist, John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, who had moved there permanently in 1880. It was in Florence that De Morgan was exposed to the Early Renaissance master, Sandro Botticelli. Botticelli and the art of Florence moved De Morgan’s art away from the Aesthetic style, and “art for art’s sake” that she had been learning in school, to her own unique style. Between 1890 and the onset of World War I in 1914, Evelyn and her husband, William, traveled to Florence, Italy to live during the winter months. This consistently provided inspiration to both artists.
Janes Hales served as the model for De Morgan for this piece. She was a live-in maid for the De Morgan family, having been brought on to help rear Evelyn’s sister as a nurse maid. She became an important muse for Evelyn’s work, modelling for many of Evelyn’s paintings including “Aurora Triumphans”, “Boreas and Oreithyia”, “Cassandra”, “Helen of Troy”, and “Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamund”. Hales was a beloved family member in the De Morgan household and was buried next to Evelyn and William.
This painting was extremely popular upon its exhibition. It was purchased by one of Evelyn’s most consistent and supportive patrons, William Imrie, who owned the infamous White Star Line of Titanic fame.
“Flora” is in the collections of the De Morgan Foundation, in England. Its permanent home is at Cannon Hall, in Barnsley, England, where Evelyn’s mother was raised.
For more on Evelyn De Morgan, please visit her short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
Heather, I was not familiar with this artist, although I’m sure I did receive your previous DODA posts about her. I’m so grateful to know about her now. She was clearly in the vanguard of Feminism, along with other suffragists. Your post on her painting of the “Gilded Cage” that Victorian women (and centuries of women before then) were stuck in blew me away, although the painting itself is not my favorite.
Thank you for your always interesting choices and stimulating, informative commentary about them.
Isn’t she incredible?! I love how she was a suffragist, a humanist, a pacifist, and one of the early feminists. And I really appreciate how she continued her art after her marriage, and that her husband supported her (although she supported him financially). I’ve come across several women artists who were forced to quit their art after marriage and it always breaks my heart.
It is my pleasure! I love going on these journeys into each piece and I am grateful for the companionship!