Aurora Triumphans by Evelyn de Morgan - 1877–78 or c. 1886 - 120 × 170 cm Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum Aurora Triumphans by Evelyn de Morgan - 1877–78 or c. 1886 - 120 × 170 cm Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum

Aurora Triumphans

oil on canvas • 120 × 170 cm
  • Evelyn de Morgan - 30 August 1855 - 2 May 1919 Evelyn de Morgan 1877–78 or c. 1886

Aurora Triumphans (Latin for Triumphant Aurora) features the Roman goddess of dawn Aurora, who breaks the shackles of night. Aurora lies naked in the lower-right corner, covered with carefully draped ropes of pink roses. Taking up two-thirds of the painting are three red-winged angels with trumpets and gold tunics. Set in opposition to Aurora, in the lower-left corner is a dark-robed Night, who swirls away a black cloak. 

The painting for years has been attributed to the famous Pre-Raphaelite Edward Burne-Jones, when an unscrupulous art dealer had painted over the signature with Burne-Jones' initials to get a higher price for the painting. It changed when Wilhelmina Stirling, the younger sister of radical feminist artist Evelyn De Morgan (née Pickering), who actually was the author of this work, was emerging onto the art scene as a fierce collector of her sister's art. According to her, the painting was an Evelyn De Morgan that she remembered her sister painting and had some of her sketches to prove it. 

If you would like to learn more about women artists, check our Women Artists Notebook. Also, in DailyArt Magazine it is Victorian Art week, here you can sign in to the newsletter so you don't miss the articles about the Victorians!

P.S. Here's a glimpse into the unexpected world of Victorian erotica and pornography [18+].