This painting was done in the early years of World War I, showing the resurrected Jesus over a bleak battlefield cometary. He is being carried Heavenward by a choir of angels, his arms stretched out like the cross. The red of his garments and the angels is symbolic of the bloodshed, both his and the soldiers. It is a statement by the artist about the waste of war but also of the redemption of the solders by Christ, as in their service and death they shared in his sacrifice on the cross. In a larger sense, this extends to anyone's suffering if they unite it with Christ's.
Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919) was trained in the Pre-Raphaelite school, and even this picture, which was done towards the end of her life, still bears those touches in its rich, lush drapery and the dreamy feminine angels. Like most Pre-Raphaelites, her subject matter was normally mythical, and her later war paintings were pacifist, but this picture is by far her mostly explicitly religious. It shows perhaps the spiritual reaction of many people when confronted with the deep horror and evil of war. Many poets and painters of that time turned to religion and faith in their work, showing themes of sacrifice, redemption, victory and resurrection. (source: www.demorgan.org.uk)
** IMPORTANT ** There is a white border around the image! The image is smaller than the paper! Sizes below
- 5x7" or 8.5 x 11" or 11x14" or 13x17" acid-free paper - Archival pigments, rated to last for generations. - Cardboard backer - Above story of the art - Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.
** IMPORTANT ** There is a blank border all around the image of about .5" for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17". All Approx! The white space around picture means the image is smaller than the paper. It gives the framed picture a matted look without using a matt.
Thanks for your interest!
Thanks! Sue & John
"In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art." ~ St. Pope John Paul II
