“The Gilded Cage”
For today, the great Evelyn De Morgan…
“The Gilded Cage” is a rich and colorful oil on canvas painting by the English Pre-Raphaelite artist, Evelyn De Morgan. It was made circa 1901 to 1902. This is a symbolist piece, drawing the viewer’s attention to the lack of autonomy that women have in their own lives. Even if they have gilded lives.
In this painting, a woman stands inside a wealthy furnished house. Her and her husband are dressed in rich clothing. An open book and broken discarded jewelry lie at her feet. Outside, there are revelers playing music and dancing. They are dressed in rags. A woman holds a baby, while a bird flies free. Inside, the woman is reaching out her arms longingly to the scene outside her window. Her husband sits and ignores her plight. The bird flying outside around the festive event contrasts sharply with the gilded cage inside the house.
The bright colors and symbolism behind the motifs gave De Morgan her own distinct style. De Morgan was a pacifist. Her anti-war sentiments motivated her art during WWI. She was also a feminist and socialist, scoffing the accumulation of material wealth, which greatly inspired her work. Though only minor in her early works, her later works were thick with symbolism advocating the causes she believed in.
This painting is often seen as an allegory for female captivity. This was especially poignant during the Victorian times when De Morgan lived. Women were often restricted within their specific societal roles. De Morgan was a suffragist, and openly supported a woman’s right to vote as early as 1889.
“The Gilded Cage” is currently on display at the De Morgan Centre in London, England.
For more on Evelyn De Morgan, please visit her short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
