Walter Crane’s Neo-Romantic allegorical painting Morn, Noon, Eve, Night depicts four panels, with each one portraying a different woman, all meant to represent different times of the day: morning, noon, evening and night.
The first woman on the top left, symbolising the morning, is topless with long hair, holding orange lilies in her hand and surrounded by blue birds. The lilies in her hand evoke the image of Persephone, the goddess of spring and queen of the underworld, who is commonly depicted holding flowers, grains or pomegranates in her hand.
The second woman on the top right, symbolising noon, is fully clothed, like the two women at the bottom panels, is holding laurels, with a peacock, one of the sacred animals of Hera, the queen of the Greek gods, behind her.
The third woman on the bottom left, symbolising the evening, is wearing a veil and holding an oil lamp, evoking the image of Hestia, the goddess of the home, and a calm, homely, serene atmosphere.
The fourth woman on the bottom right, symbolising the night, has a dark cloak draped around her, with a black bird flying by her feet, evoking the image of Nyx, the goddess of the night.
Walter Crane made a set of four pictures called Morn, Noon, Eve, Night. He made these pictures in 1891. These pictures are very special because they show what a day is like. The pictures show four women. They are all different. They show what happens during the day. The women are shown in ways and with different colors.
Walter Crane did not just want to show what time it is. He wanted to show that time is like a circle. He used women in his pictures to show that time is not about getting older and older. Time is like something that's alive. Each picture shows a part of life. The first picture is called Morn. It shows a woman who is like a baby. The last picture is called Night. It shows a woman who is wise and tired.
These pictures remind us that when something ends something new can start. Walter Cranes pictures are like stops on a journey. They show us what life is like from the beginning, to the end.. They show us that every end is also a new beginning.
