Evelyn de Morgan
The evening star, more commonly known as Venus, is visible in the night sky at sunset. Venus, the planet of love, is frequently depicted in art as a beautiful woman. Evelyn de Morgan, an English painter associated early in her career with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, and working in a range of styles including Aestheticism and Symbolism, often chose to personify elements such as the Moon, Mist, and Stars, reinforcing her predominant interest in representing the feminine and drawing from ancient symbolic traditions.
This work is a study for a larger piece that, unfortunately, was never completed. By this stage, de Morgan had fully developed her distinctive artistic style, which combined her mastery of portraying the female form with brilliant use of paint and a radiant color palette.
P.S. Learn more about Evelyn de Morgan's art! If you think she was the only female artist among the Pre-Raphaelites, you're wrong! Meet four other Pre-Raphaelite sisters!
P.P.S. If you like today's masterpiece, you will find other artworks by Evelyn de Morgan in our Women Artists 50 Postcards Set.