Evelyn De Morgan: The Gold Drawings || A New Exhibition Opens at Leighton House
Painter Evelyn De Morgan (1855 – 1919) defied the expectations of her class and gender to become one of the most impressive artists of a generation.
Her compositions deliver messages of feminism, spirituality and the rejection of war and material wealth, making them incredibly relevant today.
The exhibition Evelyn De Morgan: The Gold Drawings (11 March - 27 August) explores De Morgan’s unique practice of making gold drawings, showcasing 13 artworks loaned by the Trustees of the De Morgan Foundation and Victoria Dolorosa from the Leighton House collection. In addition, preparatory drawings for the figure of St. Francis made in pastel on paper are included to showcase De Morgan’s working method and skill as a draftswoman.
This exhibition is the first since 1896 to display a group of these beautiful artworks made in brilliant gold pigment on dark grey woven paper. De Morgan initially discovered this technique through Edward Burne-Jones but her works went beyond this initial inspiration.
De Morgan purchased ‘cakes’ (dry pellets) of gold pigment from her colourman Charles Roberson and grounded them into powder to form a guache paint and a hard crayon. Each drawing has a unique texture and decorative quality achieved through her varied mark making and media.
Evelyn De Morgan, Gloria in.Excelsis, 1893. Gold pigment and chalk on grey paper.
The woven paper was probably purchased already coloured (rather than having to dye it) and the gold pigment was burnished and rubbed into the paper to add depth and interest to the compositions. Two of the works (Gloria in Excelsis and Victoria Dolorosa) were made on Canson Montgolfier paper. This French supplier of art materials sold through various London colourmen. Canson Montgolfier were particularly well known for their pastel paper which had an excellent texture for holding this tricky material. Degas and Burne-Jones regularly bought Canson Montgolfier paper for their pastels.
“Evelyn De Morgan’s artistic skill and innovative approach, particularly with her gold drawings, are rarely discussed in critical appraisals of her work, overshadowed by her interesting biography and the rich visual symbolism in her paintings. This new exhibition at Leighton House recognizes De Morgan as an ambitious artist on the same merits as her male counterparts.”
The exhibition is open from 11 March to 27 August 2023 at Leighton House’s Tavolozza Drawings Gallery, Wednesdays to Mondays from 10am to 5:30pm.
Cover Image Photo Credit: ©RBKC Image Jaron-James
