The De Morgan Collection, The De Morgan Foundation.
Location History:
The artwork underwent major conservation work in 2018 and was subsequently shown in the exhibition "The De Morgans: Two of the rarest spirits of the age" at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.
Evelyn De Morgan painted Our Lady of Peace in 1907 as a direct reaction to the destruction caused by the Boer War. On the surface, the canvas presents a very standard religious scenario. A young Christian knight kneels in a church, praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary before heading off to battle.
De Morgan quickly disrupts the usual chivalric tropes, however. Instead of giving the knight a heroic or confident posture, she paints him with a distinct look of nervous consternation. That single choice changes the entire meaning of the scene. The knight is not merely asking for personal protection. He appears to be holding onto the desperate hope that his upcoming violence will actually secure a lasting peace.
The symbolism around the Virgin Mary is highly deliberate. Within Catholic tradition, Our Lady of Peace acts as a protector and an advocate for humanity. This specific Marian imagery was something civilians and soldiers leaned on heavily to process the tragedies of the Boer War and the First World War. In the painting, Mary ushers in the healing light of spiritual enlightenment, shown by the celestial rainbows curving around her. The laurel wreaths she wears further establish her as a symbol of salvation and redemption.
Academics often read this painting as a thematic foil to De Morgan's other well-known work, Angel Piping to the Souls in Heaven. By focusing on a quiet, spiritual moment, the artwork delivers a sharp moral critique regarding the futility of using the machinery of war to achieve peace.
De Morgan has created a symbolic painting full of uncertainty, replacing the usual heroic nature of a knight in armour off to war. In contrast, Mary looks an almost supernatural vision as she is surrounded by putti and a divine light. The scene invites prayer for peace instead of victory.
