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Introduction
Evelyn De Morgan’s The Crown of Glory (1896) presents an arresting tableau of spiritual yearning and moral triumph. In this finely detailed composition, a young woman stands at the threshold of an inner chamber, poised between earthly confines and the promise of heavenly reward. She has just laid aside a crown—rendered on a slender pedestal—to turn her gaze upward toward a painted triptych of joy, faith, and hope above her, where saintly figures symbolizing spiritual glory preside over her consecration. De Morgan, deeply influenced by Pre‑Raphaelite aesthetics and Symbolist ideals, imbues the scene with layers of allegory, color symbolism, and architectural precision. The painting becomes a meditation on renunciation, divine calling, and the transformative power of faith over worldly ambition. In the following analysis, we will explore the historical and cultural context of the work, its compositional strategies, its use of color and light, the richness of its symbolism, the expressive rendering of the central figure, the architectural and decorative elements, its emotional resonance, and the technical mastery that makes The Crown of Glory a luminous exemplar of late‑Victorian allegory.
Historical Context
Painted in 1896, The Crown of Glory emerges amid the heights of Evelyn De Morgan’s career and at a moment when Victorian society was wrestling with questions of faith, gender, and the role of art. De Morgan (1855–1919) had trained under the influence of the Pre‑Raphaelite Brotherhood, whose emphasis on vivid color, medieval revivalism, and moral narrative shaped her early style. By the mid‑1890s, she had incorporated Symbolist themes—exploring spiritual transcendence and the unseen forces that govern human destiny. This period also witnessed the burgeoning of the women’s suffrage movement in Britain, alongside debates about the place of women in religious life. De Morgan, herself a committed spiritualist and feminist, often portrayed heroines who consciously renounced worldly power in favor of divine devotion. The Crown of Glory speaks directly to these currents: it dramatizes a woman’s choice to relinquish temporal crown and realm for the prospect of spiritual ascension, echoing contemporary discussions of women’s agency in public versus private, secular versus sacred spheres.
Compositional Structure
De Morgan organizes The Crown of Glory around a balanced vertical axis, anchored by the central figure’s body and the narrow pedestal bearing the discarded crown. To the left, a stately doorway opens onto a stone staircase, its diagonal line leading the eye upward. To the right, a low bookcase filled with richly bound volumes provides a horizontal counterpoint, grounding the scene in worldly learning. Above, the painted fresco occupies the upper third of the canvas, depicting three halos and three saintly figures—Christ, Saint Francis, and Saint Clare—in a semicircular arrangement that echoes the architrave framing them. The central figure’s extended right arm and uplifted gaze create a gentle diagonal that connects the earthly plane of the floor to the heavenly tableau above. De Morgan’s careful balancing of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines generates a sense of poised tension: the moment captured is one of quiet resolution at the threshold between two worlds.
Use of Color and Light
Color in The Crown of Glory underscores its allegorical meaning. The central figure wears a soft green robe over a rose‑tinted underdress, symbolizing renewal and love rooted in spiritual devotion. The crown, painted in burnished gold, stands out against the dark marble pedestal, its metallic sheen marking the transience of earthly power. The medieval fresco above employs a palette of deep blues, reds, and golds—classic tones of ecclesiastical art—drawing a clear contrast between the sacred imagery and the more subdued hues of the room below. Light enters subtly from off‑canvas to the left, casting gentle highlights on the folds of fabric and the polished spines of books. This soft illumination also falls on the painted saints, unifying real and represented figures in a shared radiance. By modulating warm and cool tones—earthy greens and pinks below, cooler ultramarine and crimson above—De Morgan guides the viewer’s emotional response from contemplative humility to exalted hope.
Symbolism and Allegorical Narrative
At the heart of The Crown of Glory lies the act of renunciation: the figure has just removed the golden crown that once symbolized earthly authority, placing it on a pedestal that invites viewers to witness the sacrifice. The empty throne implied to the left, just beyond the doorway, remains unoccupied—a silent testament to the world she leaves behind. The staircase suggests ascent, both literal and metaphorical, toward spiritual heights. The fresco above portrays three figures emblematic of divine love, humility, and faith. Christ stands centrally, extending his hand in blessing; to his left, Saint Francis of Assisi gestures toward the crown, embodying renunciation of wealth; to his right, Saint Clare receives a ring, symbolizing her commitment to spiritual marriage. White doves flutter across the painted panel, evoking the Holy Spirit and reinforcing themes of divine inspiration and grace. The books below—titles on theology, poetry, and philosophy—remind us that knowledge can guide or ensnare, depending on one’s priorities.
The Central Figure: Expression and Gesture
De Morgan’s heroine is rendered with a blend of classical dignity and personal introspection. Her face, framed by swirls of chestnut hair adorned with pearls, tilts upward in resolve and reverence; her soft, contemplative eyes gaze toward the painted saints. The left hand, still touching the crown’s edge, signifies a moment frozen in transition—she hovers between past and future. The right hand, lifted toward the fresco, extends in both willingness and invitation: she reaches toward divine acceptance. De Morgan applies precise brushwork to capture the tension in her fingers and the gentle arc of her wrist, conveying both strength and grace. Her bare feet, visible beneath the hem of her gown, rest firmly on the polished floor, suggesting groundedness even as her spirit ascends. Through these gestures and expressions, the painting becomes a portrait of moral agency: the heroine not only recognizes her calling but claims it through conscious, embodied choice.
Architectural and Decorative Elements
The interior setting of The Crown of Glory reflects a fusion of medieval and Renaissance aesthetics. The doorway’s jambs, fluted pilasters, and carved capitals evoke ecclesiastical architecture, while the checkerboard marble floor suggests Renaissance refinement. A small hanging lamp with teardrop crystals dangles above the doorway, symbolizing the light of knowledge and the fragility of worldly lustre. To the right, the bookcase’s carved supports—figures of angels—echo the fresco above, reinforcing the continuity between lived space and sacred iconography. The potted palm on the right side symbolizes martyrdom and victory; its fronds mirror the upward gestures of the figures. Subtle details—a scattered rose fallen from the heroine’s robe, a faint reflection on a polished floor tile—attest to De Morgan’s obsessive attention to craftsmanship, ensuring each element contributes to the painting’s layered narrative.
Emotional Resonance and Viewer Engagement
The Crown of Glory engages viewers through its blend of intimate portraiture and grand allegory. The heroine’s personal moment—her captured expression, poised gestures—invites empathy, encouraging viewers to project their own experiences of choice and sacrifice. At the same time, the fresco’s universal message of divine love speaks across centuries, assuring that any act of renunciation is met with spiritual affirmation. The architectural setting—familiar yet charged with symbolic detail—allows viewers to place themselves in the scene, to feel the cool marble underfoot and the hush of a sacred chamber. De Morgan sustains emotional tension through contrasts: the solidity of stone versus the fluidity of drapery, the weight of crown against the lightness of prayer, the horizontal line of the bookshelves against the vertical thrust of ascent. This calibrated interplay ensures that the painting remains both a personal vignette and an expansive spiritual vision.
Artistic Technique and Surface Treatment
A detailed examination of The Crown of Glory reveals De Morgan’s technical mastery. The painting’s surface is characterized by smooth, almost imperceptible brushstrokes in the flesh and drapery, achieved through successive layers of fine glazing that yield a depth of tone and a luminous finish. In contrast, the architectural elements—the marble floor and stone walls—are rendered with more textured strokes and subtle scumbles that evoke the irregularities of real stone. The fresco above, while appearing in the same pictorial space, is distinguished by slightly flatter paint application and faint horizontal striations, suggesting its painted‑on‑wall character. Tiny highlights—on the pearls, the lamp crystals, and the gilded crown—are laid on in impasto, catching the viewer’s eye like glints of reality amid symbolic constructs. Through this nuanced handling of surface and technique, De Morgan creates a cohesive world that effortlessly blends realism and allegory.
Feminist Perspective and Moral Agency
While The Crown of Glory functions as a universal allegory of spiritual renunciation, it also resonates with late‑Victorian debates about women’s autonomy and moral authority. By portraying her heroine as an active moral chooser—one who deliberately lays aside worldly power—De Morgan challenges contemporary stereotypes of women as passive or subordinate. The heroine’s confident posture, direct gaze, and discerned agency position her as a spiritual equal to the saintly figures above. This feminist subtext aligns with De Morgan’s broader social activism; she advocated for women’s suffrage and education, insisting that women possess both the right and the capability to contribute to moral and intellectual life. The Crown of Glory thus becomes an early cinematic manifesto for female self‑determination within both secular and sacred orders.
Legacy and Significance
Although Evelyn De Morgan’s reputation declined during the mid‑twentieth century, recent rediscoveries of women’s contributions to Symbolist and Pre‑Raphaelite art have restored her to prominence. The Crown of Glory, with its blend of technical virtuosity, rich symbolism, and feminist undercurrents, is now widely recognized as one of her masterworks. Curators frequently include it in exhibitions exploring gender, spirituality, and the allegorical tradition. Contemporary viewers find in De Morgan’s painting a resonant commentary on the nature of choice: the tension between worldly ambition and spiritual calling remains as urgent today as it was in 1896. As scholarship continues to highlight her pioneering role, The Crown of Glory stands as a testament to art’s capacity to illuminate the deepest questions of human agency and moral aspiration.
Conclusion
In The Crown of Glory, Evelyn De Morgan achieves a sublime fusion of form and meaning, bridging earthly beauty and heavenly promise through a single, decisive act of renunciation. Her meticulous composition, harmonized palette, and layered iconography invite viewers into a rich allegorical journey: the heroine’s choice to relinquish her crown becomes a universal metaphor for the soul’s quest for true glory beyond temporal power. De Morgan’s technical prowess—evident in her glazing, surface modulation, and sculptural rendering of form—serves a profound moral vision, affirming that genuine greatness lies not in the trappings of authority but in the consecration of one’s life to higher principles. The Crown of Glory endures as a luminous manifesto of self‑sacrifice, spiritual agency, and the transcendent potential of art to reflect the timeless interplay of will, faith, and love.