If you are in the South Lakes this Summer, why not pop into Blackwell to see their exhibition : Evelyn De Morgan: Artist of Peace which is running until 13 September? Evelyn was the wife of the (nowadays) more well known Arts and Crafts ceramicist, William de Morgan. In their day, William (1839-1917) and Evelyn (1855-1919) De Morgan were both highly respected artists in their own right. In addition to art, they became involved in many of the leading issues of their time including prison reform, women’s suffrage, pacifism and spiritualism.
The show focuses on the pacifism of Evelyn and her reaction both the First World War and the Boer War; many of the works were shown in her 1916 exhibition held in aid of the Red Cross.
De Morgan’s paintings bear the influence of early Renaissance art as well as that of her Pre-Raphaelite contemporaries, yet her style is distinctive in its rich use of colour, allegory and the dominance of the female form. Following from her interest in Spiritualism, her paintings frequently display an interest in the confinement and limitations of the physical body on earth. Often this is resolved through death.
All the work is on loan from the De Morgan Foundation whose interesting website can be found here.
Sykehouse Cottage 