Artwork
Mogarlius
Mogarlius is a print by Ellie Curtis. It dates from 2008 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Rendered in black, white, and selective accents of pink and green, the work balances precision with a spontaneous, sketch-like quality.
Mogarlius is a 2008 ink print by Ellie Curtis, depicting a single peacock in profile with its tail fully fanned. The composition is minimal, set against a plain white background that emphasizes the bird’s form. Rendered in black, white, and selective accents of pink and green, the work balances precision with a spontaneous, sketch-like quality. The title suggests a fictional or mythic identity, distancing the image from literal representation.
Subject & Meaning
The peacock in Mogarlius is not portrayed as a naturalistic specimen but as a symbolic figure. Its elaborate tail, marked with eye-like patterns, evokes themes of observation, vanity, or spiritual vision. The absence of context or environment invites interpretation beyond ornithological accuracy, positioning the bird as a vessel for contemplation rather than documentation.
Technique & Style
Curtis employed ink with deliberate brushwork, using fluid lines to suggest texture rather than define it. The tail feathers are rendered with loose, gestural strokes, while the body remains more contained. Color is applied sparingly, pink and green accents emerge as highlights, not overlays, creating contrast without clutter. The style resembles a rapid sketch, preserving the energy of the artist’s hand.
History & Provenance
Mogarlius was produced in 2008 as part of a series exploring mythic avian forms. It has been held in private collections and exhibited in small-scale contemporary print shows, primarily in the UK. No institutional acquisition records are publicly documented, and its provenance remains limited to artist-stamped editions and gallery exhibitions from that period.
Context
The work aligns with early 21st-century trends in contemporary printmaking that favor symbolic imagery over realism. Curtis’s approach echoes the tradition of Japanese woodblock prints and European naturalist drawings, yet subverts them through abstraction and emotional tone. The piece reflects a broader interest in reimagining familiar creatures as psychological or metaphysical symbols.
Legacy
Mogarlius has not entered major public collections, but it remains referenced in artist monographs and printmaking workshops as an example of expressive line work in contemporary ink. Its influence is seen in emerging artists who use single-figure compositions to explore identity and myth. The print endures as a quiet, personal statement within the broader field of modern print art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ellie Curtis made hand-pulled prints on paper. One piece here is Mogarlius from 2008, thick black lines and flat color shapes that read like a map without labels. The print sits inside a quiet corner of the room, so you…
