Demeter Mourning for Persephone 1906

Evelyn De Morgan created this painting of Demeter mourning for Persephone sometime around 1906, though the medium remains unspecified. What strikes me most is the fabric of Demeter's gown, this heavy yellow material, which De Morgan coaxes into form through these tiny rivulets of paint. It's so tactile, you can almost feel the weight and texture of the cloth. There's a real push and pull between the flatness of the surface and the illusion of depth created by those shadows and highlights. Consider how the folds around Demeter's knees mirror the peaks of the mountains in the background, and those delicate red poppies scattered across the landscape, like drops of blood or tears, mirroring the grief of a mother at a loss. De Morgan’s approach to myth and symbolism remind me of the way that Dante Gabriel Rossetti was working a few decades earlier, turning away from realism to seek for deeper psychological truths. It’s clear that she’s not just illustrating a story, but inviting us to experience the emotions of Demeter, to feel her sorrow and her love for her daughter.