Image source: artvee.com
Introduction
Evelyn De Morgan’s The Hour Glass (circa 1900) masterfully unites the sensuous beauty of Pre-Raphaelite detail with the profound symbolism of fin-de-siècle spiritualism. Set within an intimate, almost theatrical interior, the painting presents a solitary female figure seated upon an ornate black-and-gold throne, her garments rendered in sumptuous reds and gilded patterns. In her left hand, she holds a slender glass hourglass, its sands trickling inexorably downward—a vivid emblem of time’s relentless passage. To the right, through an open archway or window, stands an angelic musician, poised with twin flutes beneath blossoming branches, offering a lyrical counterpoint to the sober meditation on mortality within. Across the composition, De Morgan weaves subtle references to Neoplatonic thought, Christian iconography, and feminist reinterpretations of classical allegory. The viewer is invited to dwell on the interplay between life’s fleeting moments and the hope of spiritual transcendence. In this analysis, we will explore the historical roots of the work, its compositional ingenuity, its interplay of light and color, and the layered symbolism that renders The Hour Glass a timeless reflection on human destiny.
Historical Context
By the turn of the twentieth century, Evelyn De Morgan had emerged as one of Britain’s foremost women painters, navigating the currents of Pre-Raphaelitism, Aestheticism, and Symbolism. Trained under the watchful eye of John Roddam Spencer Stanhope and influenced by Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s luminous palette, De Morgan developed a style that balanced exacting craftsmanship with spiritual inquiry. Her interest in Theosophy and feminist social causes permeated her subject matter: classical myth reimagined to champion female agency, and allegories that questioned materialist reductionism. The Hour Glass appears in a period when Western artists grappled with rapid industrialization, scientific advances, and the waning certainties of Victorian orthodoxy. Spiritualist societies and esoteric philosophies offered new frameworks for understanding existence beyond empirical confines. In this milieu, the hourglass—a long-standing memento mori in European art—acquired renewed poignancy, suggesting both the vanity of earthly pursuits and the promise of an eternal realm. De Morgan’s painting thus reflects an era in which art sought to reconcile human fragility with cosmic hope, inviting viewers to consider both their temporal limitations and their spiritual aspirations.
Composition and Layout
The Hour Glass is structured around a central axis that bisects the canvas vertically: on the left, the seated woman commands attention; on the right, the flautist and flowering branch provide a contrasting motif of renewal. De Morgan positions her protagonist slightly off-center to the left, her body oriented toward the viewer yet her gaze cast downward, creating an inward focus. The throne’s vertical elements—the gilded finials and carved uprights—reiterate this sense of stature and gravity. Directly beneath the hourglass rests a sculptural ceramic stand decorated with three female heads, their stoic expressions echoing the central figure’s solemnity. The floor is covered by a crimson carpet that extends beyond the frame, anchoring the scene in rich, tactile reality. To the right, a slender column and open jamb unveil a glimpse of the exterior world: an angelic musician framed by blossoming white flowers. This counterbalancing element introduces a diagonal line that guides the viewer’s eye from the hourglass upward to the sky beyond, suggesting an ascent from mortal time toward a higher realm. The careful calibration of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines creates a tension between stasis and transcendence.
Use of Color and Light
Color in The Hour Glass transcends mere decoration; it operates as a vital expression of thematic content. The dominant hues—deep russet red, burnished gold, emerald green, and cerulean blue—are applied with jewel-like luminosity. The central figure’s robe combines a grid of tiny gold dots against a crimson ground, evoking both regal finery and the granular flow of sand. Her sleeves, rendered in golden-yellow stripes, catch the light that streams from an unseen source at the upper left, perhaps suggested by the glowing lantern suspended above the throne. The lantern itself, hung by delicate chains, emits a mellow glow that softens the shadows on the figure’s face and drapery. In contrast, the angelic musician is bathed in cooler tones—sky-blue robes and pale flesh—beneath the open daylight beyond the threshold. The interplay of warm and cool palettes not only differentiates the interior from the exterior but also underscores the conceptual polarity of earthly time versus heavenly eternity. De Morgan’s glazing technique—thin layers of translucent pigment—creates a shimmering depth in both the solid fabrics and the ethereal blossoms, imparting a radiant quality that enlivens every surface.
Symbolism and Themes
At the heart of The Hour Glass lies a meditation on temporality, mortality, and hope. The hourglass, an object with centuries of memento mori associations, crystallizes the theme of life’s brevity: each grain of sand marks an irretrievable moment. Yet De Morgan surrounds this symbol with counterpoints to despair. The angelic musician, whose flutes suggest harmony and celebration, stands amid blossoming branches that evoke spring, renewal, and spiritual awakening. The three sculpted heads on the stand echo the operatic Fates of classical myth—Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos—who spin, measure, and cut the thread of life. Yet here, they appear resigned, contemplative rather than terrifying. The open archway implies freedom rather than confinement, and the soft breeze suggested by drifting petals promises transformation. De Morgan’s inclusion of a closed book on the floor—its cover inscribed with Latin or symbolic lettering—may allude to revealed knowledge or the inscrutable record of a soul’s journey. Through these motifs, the painting negotiates a dialectic: the inexorable march of time is acknowledged without yielding to nihilistic finality. Instead, it gestures toward an eternal dimension where music, beauty, and spiritual renewal prevail.
The Central Figure and Her Presence
The seated woman is at once mortal and majestic. Her posture—slightly slumped yet dignified—conveys weariness without defeat. Clad in sumptuous drapery that cascades in complex folds, she embodies the duality of flesh and spirit. Her hair, bound by a delicate diadem, falls in soft tendrils around a face marked by introspective calm. Her left hand clasps the hourglass at its midpoint, suggesting a measured acceptance of time’s flow; her right hand rests nonchalantly upon the armrest, fingers loose as though poised for release. The queenly chair, with its carved acanthus leaves and stylized female faces, elevates her to an archetypal status: she is Queen of Time, yet also everywoman confronted with life’s finitude. Her garments’ rich patterning—tiny gold tesserae set against a russet matrix—echoes the granular quality of sand, reinforcing the unity between subject and symbol. Through her direct yet melancholic gaze, the viewer senses not only resignation but also a contemplative serenity, as if she has transcended fear through spiritual understanding.
Emotional Resonance and Viewer Engagement
The Hour Glass engages viewers on both intellectual and emotional levels. The painting’s sumptuous surfaces and arresting imagery draw one in, while its thematic complexity invites lingering reflection. Observers may feel the weight of mortality pressing upon the scene, yet they are equally buoyed by the promise of renewal signaled by the musician and blooming flora. De Morgan achieves this balance through subtle cues: the downward slope of the figure’s shoulders is mirrored by the upward thrust of blossoms; darkness is countered by golden highlights; stillness coexists with implied movement. The viewer becomes a participant in the work’s emotional dialectic, oscillating between sympathy for the central figure’s solitude and uplift at the angel’s presence. The painting’s scale—when exhibited at its original dimensions—envelops the spectator’s field of vision, creating an immersive environment that heightens affect. Through refined composition and evocative symbolism, De Morgan ensures that The Hour Glass functions not merely as a decorative tableau but as a catalyst for personal meditation on time, loss, and hope.
Artistic Technique and Brushwork
Upon close inspection, De Morgan’s brushwork reveals a masterful synthesis of Pre-Raphaelite precision and Aesthetic subtlety. The painting’s surface is virtually brushstroke-less at first glance, thanks to multiple layers of glazing that achieve a velvety smoothness. Yet within the folds of fabric and the petals of flowers, one can discern delicate variations in hue and tone, each applied with an almost obsessive attention to detail. The geometric regularity of the gown’s pattern contrasts with the organic contours of the blossoms, demonstrating her ability to render both mechanic and natural forms with equal finesse. Metallic highlights on the hourglass and the throne’s gilded elements are executed with tiny touches of impasto, capturing the glint of reflected light. Meanwhile, the angel’s feathery wings and the hanging lantern’s filigree display her command of linear detail. By alternating between fine, almost microscopic strokes and broader scumbles in the shadows, De Morgan builds a richly textured surface that rewards prolonged viewing. This interplay of technique reinforces the painting’s thematic dualities: the ephemeral quality of sand, the solidity of carved wood, the transparency of glass.
Temporal Imagery and Theatrical Setting
De Morgan situates her moral allegory within a quasi-stage set, complete with proscenium-like framing and props that contribute to a dramatic narrative. The heavy red carpet, the sculptural stand, the throne—each element reads like a theatrical set piece. The open archway or window functions as a portal between two realms: the enclosed interior where time is measured and the exterior world where music and blossoming life unfold unbound. Petals caught mid-fall and the musician’s ready breath suggest a suspended moment, a pause between two acts in a larger cosmic drama. De Morgan’s choice to depict the hourglass at the very center of this “stage” heightens its narrative significance: time itself is the protagonist, both invisible force and dramatic presence. The painting thereby becomes not a static tableau but a snapshot of a carefully choreographed performance. This theatricality underscores the idea that human existence is at once mundane and transcendent—a fleeting show against the backdrop of eternity.
Legacy and Significance
The Hour Glass occupies a pivotal place within Evelyn De Morgan’s oeuvre and within the broader currents of late-Victorian art. It exemplifies her capacity to fuse technical brilliance with profound philosophical inquiry, reinforcing her reputation as a leading woman artist of her generation. While she engaged with Pre-Raphaelite concerns—attention to detail, vibrant coloration—she advanced beyond romantic medievalism into a Symbolist vocabulary that addressed contemporary anxieties about time, death, and the afterlife. The painting’s incorporation of feminist overtones—showing a woman in regal authority over time’s measure—anticipates later twentieth-century explorations of gender and power. Museums and private collectors have long prized The Hour Glass for its aesthetic allure and thematic depth. In recent decades, scholars have revisited De Morgan’s legacy, recognizing her as a significant voice in the dialogue between art and spirituality. The painting continues to resonate in exhibitions exploring feminist art history, Victorian allegory, and the intersection of beauty and morality.
Conclusion
In The Hour Glass, Evelyn De Morgan achieves a rare unity of form and meaning. Through her exquisite handling of color, meticulous composition, and layered symbolism, she transforms the humble hourglass into a portal for contemplating life’s transience and the potential for renewal. The juxtaposition of somber interior and blooming exterior, of solitary contemplation and angelic music, invites us to recognize the fragile balance between mortality and hope. De Morgan’s technical mastery—evident in her glazing, pattern work, and attention to detail—serves not merely decorative ends but resonates with the painting’s deeper allegorical purpose. As we reflect on the sands slipping through the hourglass, we are reminded of our own fleeting moments and of that greater dimension toward which the artist’s imagery beckons. The Hour Glass stands as a testament to De Morgan’s vision: an artwork that transcends its era to speak universally to questions of time, spirit, and the enduring search for meaning.