“A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: Evelyn & William De Morgan” showcases stunning Pre-Raphaelite paintings and Arts & Crafts ceramics. 

If you’re looking for an interesting and beautiful art exhibit to go to in Greater Wilmington this fall, the Delaware Art Museum will host the first retrospective exhibition of the work of Pre-Raphaelite painter Evelyn Pickering De Morgan (1855-1919) and her husband, the stained glass and pottery designer William Frend De Morgan (1839-1917). Making its American debut at the Delaware Art Museum, the exhibition tells the story of this extraordinary creative couple, who engaged with the artistic and social movements of their day. Over 75 works introduce visitors to William’s shimmering, lustreware ceramics and Evelyn’s richly symbolic paintings, inspired by her deep engagement with Italian Renaissance art. 

As artists, the De Morgans worked at the center of the Pre-Raphaelite, Arts and Crafts, and Aesthetic Movements. Their political and social views also connected them with groups outside the art world including socialists, suffragists, and pacifists. Yet the De Morgan name is not well known - William perhaps because he produced decorative arts, a genre which has historically been regarded as inferior to fine arts, and Evelyn because of her gender. Considering the two artists together allows for a comprehensive view of the expanded cultural milieu in which they functioned, not least regarding new attitudes towards Victorian marriage as a working partnership. 

IF YOU GO: 

What: “A Marriage of Arts & Crafts: Evelyn & William De Morgan” 

When: October 22, 2022 – February 19, 2023 

Lecture and Exhibition Preview on Friday evening, October 21. 

Where: Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19803
 
Cost: Free with Museum admission ($14 adults) 

Info: delart.org 

At the Delaware Art Museum, the exhibition will be accompanied by lectures during opening and closing weekends by Sarah Hardy, Curator of the De Morgan Foundation, and Dr. Margaretta Frederick, Curator Emerita at the Delaware Art Museum. Guided tours of the exhibition will be offered weekly on Saturdays at 1 p.m. On view concurrently, “The Forgotten Pre-Raphaelites" will explore the work of lesser-known artists associated with the Pre-Raphaelite circle. A new Pre-Raphaelite art history course, with virtual and in-person options, will contextualize the era in which the De Morgans worked and highlight Delaware Art Museum’s Bancroft collection, the largest Pre-Raphaelite holdings outside of the United Kingdom. 

Learn more about the Delaware Art Museum at delart.org and start planning your Wilmington weekend at VisitWilmingtonDE.com

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