Men in Pants: Evelyn De Morgan's male life drawings from the Slade School onwards

This exhibition of Evelyn De Morgan’s highly celebrated drawings and sketches explores her time at the Slade School of Fine Art and sheds new light on the experiences of female Victorian artists.

Evelyn De Morgan began her artistic career at the Slade School of Fine Art, where she was able to develop her interest in drawing the human body, winning prizes for her life drawing. The Slade was the first school in Britain to offer female students the opportunity to attend classes in life drawing alongside the traditional practice of drawing from classical sculptures. While the male life models were partially covered to make the classes acceptable to female students, this remained a bold innovation in art training, attracting much criticism.

This exhibition will explore Evelyn’s experience of life drawing and her interaction and engagement with her models. Featuring material from the De Morgan Centre’s archive of drawings, this display of sketches show how Evelyn’s experience of drawing models at the Slade School and beyond shaped the expressive qualities of her paintings. Her skilful drawings reveal her creative technique and mastery of drapery and composition.

This exhibition provides a fascinating insight into the artistic work of Evelyn De Morgan and the experiences of female artists in the late 19th Century.