Aurora Triumphans
Aurora Triumphans tells the story of Aurora, goddess of Dawn, on the right overcoming the bonds of night. Her body is white, a symbol of goodness, purity and spirituality. The angels announce the dawn of a new day, while Nix, the goddess of Night, on the left gives way to Aurora, only to return at the end of the day.
De Morgan’s paintings often contain symbolic female figures personifying Dawn, Dusk, Night, and Sleep. She used the contrast of light and dark, day and night, to represent the positive triumph of love, hope and wisdom over egotism, despair and ignorance.
Evelyn De Morgan came from a wealthy background and her family initially discouraged her from pursuing her artistic ambitions. Apparently, she would paint secretly in her room, after blocking up any holes in the door that would let the smell of paint drift into the house. Eventually she persuaded her parents to allow her to attend the Slade School of Art, where she was a prizewinning student. De Morgan was also influenced by her uncle, the Pre-Raphaelite painter John Roddam Spencer-Stanhope.
De Morgan was a strong advocate for the women’s rights movement, a cause, which she shared with her husband, the ceramicist William De Morgan (1839-1917).
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