Lucie Allen

Artist Statement

My art history thesis examines the impact of feminism and spiritualism on 19th-century representations of Greco-Roman lunar goddesses. My research concentrates on the life and work of Evelyn de Morgan. De Morgan, who was closely aligned with the Pre-Raphaelite movement in England, created lunar images whose iconography was inflected by both feminist and spiritualist ideologies. I demonstrate that female artists like de Morgan sought to reshape narrative paintings of classical, mythological subjects into allegories, as they attempted to reform the iconography of the moon within a context of feminist goddess spirituality.

My visual thesis reflects on the use of lunar imagery. Using CMYK silkscreen methods, I explore the metaphors associated with the moon that came about in my research. Each image explores the lunar cycle, which symbolizes birth, life and death. In a similar vein to Evelyn de Morgan's use of spiritualist ideas to reflect on death and rebirth, I explore this by also using lunar imagery. My fine art thesis considers the concept that the moon is a symbol of the celestial or spiritual world. For me, I use the lunar cycle and the concept of ascension to contemplate life and death. Similarly to de Morgan, I use pastel colors to convey an ethereal feeling, while also disconnecting death with dark, gloomy hues. I wanted to depict the cycle of life in a way that is not overtly sad, but normal, spiritual, and even beautiful. The moon for me, a symbol of femininity and life, substitutes the physical body, as it passes through life into the spiritual world. This idea directly influenced my art history thesis, as both projects informed each other. Even though my visual thesis does not use female lunar deities like de Morgan, or direct feminist messaging, it still conveys similar concepts that place the moon as an important spiritual metaphor. 

IMAGE GALLERY

Click through to enlarge and view individual artworks from Lucie's thesis project.