Men in Pants

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