The Captives 1910

Evelyn De Morgan created "The Captives" using oil paint, a medium that allows for a remarkable layering of color, creating luminosity and depth. Look closely, and you'll notice the way De Morgan has built up the surfaces of her figures with glazes, thin layers of translucent paint that capture the light. The choice of oil paint is significant, as it was well-suited to achieving the Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic, which favored subjects of beauty, melancholy, and moral lessons. The texture is smooth, reflecting the artist's skill in blending and manipulating the paint to create soft, idealized forms. The very act of painting becomes a form of labor, and the careful brushwork, combined with a rich color palette, imbues the scene with a sense of drama and emotion. De Morgan's masterful use of oil painting techniques serves not just to represent, but to evoke a powerful sense of the human condition. Through her craft, we see beyond the surface, engaging with the underlying messages of morality and beauty.