William de Morgan (British, 1839-1917) Hand studies a pair, coloured chalk 24 x 37.5cm (9 7/16 x 14 3/4in) and 18 x 16cm (7 1/16 x 6 5/16in). (2) Footnotes: Provenance Private collection, UK. Evelyn De Morgan is regarded as one of the most remarkable artists of her generation, challenging the social conventions that defined the role of women in Victorian Britain. Educated at home alongside her brothers, she benefited from private tutors who introduced her to Latin and Greek, as well as French, German and Italian. Her studies extended to classical literature, mythology and the sciences, subjects that were rarely available to young women. Despite descending from a family with artistic connections, her mother held firmly conservative views regarding her daughter's ambitions and future career. From an early age, however, De Morgan demonstrated a strong determination to devote herself to art. After a short period at the South Kensington National Art Training School, she enrolled at the Slade School of Art, one of the few institutions to admit women on equal terms with men. Alongside Mary Watts (née Tytler), she was among its earliest female students. During her studies, De Morgan was a pupil of Sir Edward Poynter, who would later become President of the Royal Academy of Arts. Poynter was committed to the Aesthetic style, a movement that emphasised beauty, refinement and classical harmony rather than overt narrative or moralising intent. Drawing on classical antiquity and Renaissance art, the movement found particular inspiration in the poetic mysticism and decorative splendour of Botticelli. It was at the height of this movement's influence that De Morgan began exhibiting her own work. She was among the early exhibitors at the Grosvenor Gallery, the progressive alternative to the Royal Academy exhibitions. Her reputation grew steadily, culminating solo exhibitions in London in 1906 and Wolverhampton in 1907, a notable achievement for a woman artist at the time. Beyond her artistic practice, De Morgan engaged deeply with the social and political concerns of her time. Themes of prison reform, pacifism and spiritualism recur throughout her work, reflecting her belief in moral and spiritual progress. She was also an active supporter of women's suffrage, adding her name in 1889 to the Declaration in Favour of Women's Suffrage. Evelyn De Morgan died on 2 May 1919 and was buried beside her husband, William De Morgan, at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. Over the course of a career spanning five decades, she produced a substantial body of paintings and works on paper that affirm her position as one of the most significant artists of her time. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing