The Mourners 1916

Evelyn De Morgan made this painting, "The Mourners," likely with oil paints, and the layering feels very considered. She’s playing with these dramatic gestures and colours in ways that are so striking. I think it is interesting how the artist must have really thought about the placement of the figures to convey a story of loss and longing. See how some figures are reaching towards the light while others are curled up in despair? The artist has used layers of thin paint and glazes to create a luminous effect, especially around the mourners and the city in the background. I can imagine De Morgan carefully building up these layers to achieve the desired effect. That one figure with her arms raised seems like an offering of grief, and the way the city behind is rendered with such gentle, blurred strokes... well, it suggests an ambiguous and imaginative space. It's like she is saying that even in mourning, there's a connection to something beyond. Artists build on each other, so I wonder who inspired her work. It feels deeply personal.