The Hour Glass 

Evelyn De Morgan painted "The Hour Glass" at a time when women artists navigated a complex social landscape. Here, we see a woman seated, not in the bloom of youth, but in a reflective pose, contemplating the passage of time. Note the hourglass by her side and the angel playing a flute – symbols of time slipping away. The figures in the tapestry behind her seem to enjoy the pleasures of life, seemingly unaware of time's passage. De Morgan's work often pushed against the traditional representations of women in art, frequently imbuing her figures with agency and intellect, offering alternative narratives of femininity. One feels the melancholic tension between earthly existence and the eternal. "The Hour Glass" serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of life, inviting us to contemplate how we, as individuals and as a society, grapple with our own mortality. It’s a powerful reflection on time, beauty, and the complexities of being.