Of Victorian Interest

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Of Victorian Interest

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Event: A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: William & Evelyn De Morgan (October 22, 2022 – February 19, 2023) – exhibition

A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: William & Evelyn De Morgan

Delaware Art Museum

Wilmington, DE

October 22, 2022 – February 19, 2023

The Delaware Art Museum hosts the first retrospective exhibition of the work of Arts and Crafts potter and author, William De Morgan, and Pre-Raphaelite painter Evelyn Pickering De Morgan. As a power couple in Victorian England, the De Morgans moved in influential cultural circles, shared an interest in spiritualism, and engaged with social issues of their day. Their union redefined Victorian marriage as a working partnership.  

Encouraged by Arts & Crafts pioneer William Morris, William De Morgan drew on his scientific knowledge to experiment in stained glass and tile production, opening his own pottery firm in 1872. His brilliantly colored tiles, pots, and plates with the distinctive lustre-ware surfaces are unmistakable. His success, later in life, in novel writing suggests a remarkably creative power.  

Evelyn De Morgan was one of the first female students to enroll at the Slade School in London. In Italy, she took inspiration from the Renaissance art of Sandro Botticelli. Evelyn’s paintings combine Pre-Raphaelite style and Botticellian linearity with distinctly modern subjects. This fall, the richly symbolic paintings and shimmering ceramics of Evelyn and William De Morgan are displayed together in one visually stunning exhibition.

Member Preview Talk & Party

Friday, October 21

Join De Morgan Foundation Curator Sarah Hardy for a lecture on the De Morgans, followed by an exhibition preview party. RSVP at delart.org.

The Forgotten Pre-Raphaelites

On view October 1, 2022 - February 5, 2023

This new exhibition shines a light on the stories and art of less-known artists in the Pre-Raphaelite circle. Many of these drawings and works on paper from DelArt's collection have not been on view for many years.

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