The Gilded Cage (Saint George Hare painting)
| The Gilded Cage | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Saint George Hare |
| Year | 1908 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 127 cm × 101.5 cm (50 in × 40.0 in) |
| Location | Stourhead |
The Gilded Cage is a 1908 oil painting by Irish artist Saint George Hare, one of several of his shackled female images including his more famous Victory of Faith.
It depicts a lone, sleeping woman shackled by the wrists to a column while butterflies fly past. Its title may have been inspired by the 1900 song "A Bird in a Gilded Cage" and the painting may have symbolic meaning.[1]
According to the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia), "The depiction of naked women in chains seemed to hold a special interest for Hare, and he returned to the subject frequently".[2]
Despite the captive's partial nudity she retains her innocence as her state of being disrobed is forced upon her by her captors rather than being her own choice.[2]