Aurora Triumphans

"Aurora Triumphans" is a mesmerizing painting by Evelyn De Morgan that vividly portrays the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, as she emerges from the clutches of night. Within the composition, Aurora is shown reclining nude in the lower right corner, adorned with delicate garlands of pink roses. Dominating much of the scene are three red-winged angels dressed in golden tunics, each holding a trumpet. In stark contrast, the figure of Night, shrouded in dark robes, occupies the lower left corner.

First exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in London in 1886, the painting now resides in the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth. One of the most striking features of "Aurora Triumphans" is the vivid contrast between the radiant, flower-studded glow surrounding Aurora and the dark, shadowy drapery of Night. Aurora faces the viewer with an open, inviting pose, while Night turns away, accentuating the sense of opposition between the two figures.

Interestingly, the painting was once erroneously attributed to another artist, Burne-Jones. An art dealer had fraudulently painted over De Morgan's signature with Burne-Jones' initials to inflate its value. Consequently, Herbert, son of Merton Russell-Cotes, acquired it for the museum around 1922 under the mistaken belief of its authorship.

Art historian Elise Lawton Smith provides a profound interpretation of the painting. She suggests that Aurora's posture signifies a transitional state between night and day, with her apparent lethargy representing a shift towards renewed vitality. The three angels blowing their trumpets underscore this transformation, suggesting that Aurora's triumph transcends her mythological role, serving also as a powerful spiritual metaphor.