The Gilded Cage by Evelyn De Morgan (Interpretation and Analysis)

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The Gilded Cage
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement are often known as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. However, in actuality, female artists and writers were essential to the success of the movement. While many people know about the contributions that female writers such as Christina Rossetti made to the movement, the work of female painters is less well-known, it is equally important. 

Evelyn De Morgan was perhaps the most successful and prolific female painter of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Her work is characterized by an intense and vibrant palette of colors and an interest in spiritual and allegorical themes.

The Gilded Cage, which is often interpreted as a commentary on the role of women in Victorian society, is among her most famous works. The piece depicts a young woman and her wealthy, older husband. The two are pictured in a lavish room, yet the woman stands at the window, gazing out at the joys and pleasures of the world while a pile of jewels lays unheaded at her feet.

The De Morgan Foundation, which owns the painting, points out the symbolism it contains: “[the woman’s] entrapment in a patriarchal society which dictated her confinement in the domestic sphere is echoed by the golden caged canary in the top right of the painting.”

The piece criticizes the social limitations that prevented wealthy, Victorian women from living up to their full, intellectual potentials and pursuing meaningful work outside of the home. The title of The Gilded Cage references a popular phrase that essentially means that even a lavish and comfortable prison is still a prison. Although De Morgan herself enjoyed a surprising amount of autonomy for her time, her painting represents a yearning for greater freedom.

The Gilded Cage was De Morgan’s final painting, and offers haunting echoes of how she viewed her life as a female artist. It is an uncanny reflection on De Morgan’s life and the role of her gender more generally.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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