.gif)
Helen of Troy (painting)
Encyclopedia
Helen of Troy is an 1898 painting by Evelyn de Morgan
depicting Helen of Troy; it was commissioned by William Imrie
of Liverpool.
Compositionally, the painting is similar to De Morgan's Flora and Cassandra: Helena is standing upright and tall, in a peaceful posture that reminds to Boticcelli's representations of Greek and Roman goddesses (such as Minerva
or Venus
) that are, at the same time, an evocation of classical art, an usual characteristic between Renaissance artists. Helena has been removed from the common artistic elements of the Trojan War
: despite dealing with a typically bellic topic, De Morgan decides to paint, instead of weapons and battles, the wonderful pink clothes and the fascinated look that Helena puts on the mirror that is reflecting her beautiful face, elements that can be read as symbols of her inconscient vanity, which eventually took a terrible and long war and destruction to the city of Troy
, which we can see in the last term of the composition, on top of a hill. The presence of the moon-sun in the sky is also related to her feminine and voluble nature.
Evelyn De Morgan
Evelyn De Morgan was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter.She was born Evelyn Pickering. Her parents were of upper middle class. Her father was Percival Pickering QC, the Recorder of Pontefract...
depicting Helen of Troy; it was commissioned by William Imrie
William Imrie
William Imrie was a Liverpool shipowner who owned the White Star Line. He was once known as “the Prince of Shipowners”.-Early life:...
of Liverpool.
Compositionally, the painting is similar to De Morgan's Flora and Cassandra: Helena is standing upright and tall, in a peaceful posture that reminds to Boticcelli's representations of Greek and Roman goddesses (such as Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
or Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
) that are, at the same time, an evocation of classical art, an usual characteristic between Renaissance artists. Helena has been removed from the common artistic elements of the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
: despite dealing with a typically bellic topic, De Morgan decides to paint, instead of weapons and battles, the wonderful pink clothes and the fascinated look that Helena puts on the mirror that is reflecting her beautiful face, elements that can be read as symbols of her inconscient vanity, which eventually took a terrible and long war and destruction to the city of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
, which we can see in the last term of the composition, on top of a hill. The presence of the moon-sun in the sky is also related to her feminine and voluble nature.