ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Evelyn de Morgan, 1855-1919

The English painter Evelyn de Morgan is one of my favourite artists associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Her portrait paintings celebrating female figures of beauty have a real sense of personal style, something I always appreciate: I love looking at a painting I have never seen before and being able to tell who the artist is. And despite the similarities between her paintings, Evelyn’s works could never be described as cookie-cutter art. Each heroine, and sometimes hero, have their own theme, props and colour palette to individualise their artistic space.

Evelyn was married to William de Morgan, a ceramicist and tile designer who worked for the furnishing company belonging to William Morris. Her uncle was the artist John Roddam Spencer Stanhope.