The Gilded Cage (De Morgan)
Painting by Evelyn De Morgan
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The Gilded Cage is an oil painting on canvas by the English painter Evelyn De Morgan, from 1901-1902: it is on loan from the De Morgan Collection to the Watts Gallery.[1]
| The Gilded Cage | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Evelyn De Morgan |
| Year | 1901-1902 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 78.5 cm × 105 cm (30.9 in × 41 in) |
| Location | Watts Gallery, Compton |
Description
In the painting, a woman looks out of a window. Her outstretched hand forms a gesture of yearning as she watches a group of dancers and musicians. The principal figure among the travelling group is a woman who dances while holding her baby, suggesting that the scene also represents maternal duty. Broken jewellery and a book lie on the floor.
A bird soars free above the dancers, which contrasts sharply to the captive bird in the gilded cage hanging near the woman's distraught older husband.[2]