|
|
|
| | | Prev Artist Next Artist
|
|
John William Godward
English
1861-1922
Godward was a Victorian Neo-classicist, and therefore a follower in theory of Frederic Leighton. However, he is more closely allied stylistically to Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, with whom he shared a penchant for the rendering of Classical architecture, in particular, static landscape features constructed from marble.
The vast majority of Godward's extant images feature women in Classical dress, posed against these landscape features, though there are some semi-nude and fully nude figures included in his oeuvre (a notable example being In The Tepidarium (1913), a title shared with a controversial Alma-Tadema painting of the same subject that resides in the Lady Lever Art Gallery). The titles reflect Godward's source of inspiration: Classical civilisation, most notably that of Ancient Rome (again a subject binding Godward closely to Alma-Tadema artistically), though Ancient Greece sometimes features, thus providing artistic ties, albeit of a more limited extent, with Leighton.
Given that Classical scholarship was more widespread among the potential audience for his paintings during his lifetime than in the present day, meticulous research of detail was important in order to attain a standing as an artist in this genre. Alma-Tadema was, as well as a painter, an archaeologist who attended historical sites and collected artefacts that were later used in his paintings: Godward, too, studied such details as architecture and dress, in order to ensure that his works bore the stamp of authenticity. In addition, Godward painstakingly and meticulously rendered those other important features in his paintings, animal skins (the paintings Noon Day Rest (1910) and A Cool Retreat (1910) contain superb examples of such rendition) and wild flowers (Nerissa (1906), illustrated above, and Summer Flowers (1903) are again excellent examples of this).
The appearance of beautiful women in studied poses in so many of Godward's canvases causes many newcomers to his works to categorise him mistakenly as being Pre-Raphaelite, particularly as his palette is often a vibrantly colourful one. However, the choice of subject matter (ancient civilisation versus, for example, Arthurian legend) is more properly that of the Victorian Neoclassicist: however, it is appropriate to comment that in common with numerous painters contemporary with him, Godward was a 'High Victorian Dreamer', producing beautiful images of a world which, it must be said, was idealised and romanticised, and which in the case of both Godward and Alma-Tadema came to be criticised as a world-view of 'Victorians in togas'.
|
|
|
|
|
| Click Image to Enlarge |
The New Perfume
1914(1914)
Oil on canvas
40 1/8 X 20 inches (102 X 51 cm)
Painting ID:: 68062
|
|
|
The_New_Perfume
1914(1914)
Oil on canvas
40 1/8 X 20 inches (102 X 51 cm)
|
|
|
|
| Click Image to Enlarge |
Tranquillity
1914(1914)
Oil on canvas
20 X 32 inches (50.8 X 81.3 cm)
Painting ID:: 68064
|
|
|
Tranquillity
1914(1914)
Oil on canvas
20 X 32 inches (50.8 X 81.3 cm)
|
|
|
|
| Click Image to Enlarge |
Tranquillity
1914(1914)
Oil on canvas
20 X 32 inches (50.8 X 81.3 cm)
Painting ID:: 68065
|
|
|
Tranquillity
1914(1914)
Oil on canvas
20 X 32 inches (50.8 X 81.3 cm)
|
|
|
|
| Click Image to Enlarge |
Lesbia with her Sparrow
1916(1916)
Oil on canvas
38 7/8 X 19 3/8 inches (99 X 49.5 cm)
Painting ID:: 68067
|
|
|
Lesbia_with_her_Sparrow
1916(1916)
Oil on canvas
38 7/8 X 19 3/8 inches (99 X 49.5 cm)
|
|
|
|
| Click Image to Enlarge |
Under the Blossom that Hangs on the Bough
1917(1917)
Oil on canvas
24 X 32 inches (61 X 81.3 cm)
Painting ID:: 68070
|
|
|
Under_the_Blossom_that_Hangs_on_the_Bough
1917(1917)
Oil on canvas
24 X 32 inches (61 X 81.3 cm)
|
|
|
| Prev Artist Next Artist
|
|
John_William_Godward
English
1861-1922
Godward was a Victorian Neo-classicist, and therefore a follower in theory of Frederic Leighton. However, he is more closely allied stylistically to Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, with whom he shared a penchant for the rendering of Classical architecture, in particular, static landscape features constructed from marble.
The vast majority of Godward's extant images feature women in Classical dress, posed against these landscape features, though there are some semi-nude and fully nude figures included in his oeuvre (a notable example being In The Tepidarium (1913), a title shared with a controversial Alma-Tadema painting of the same subject that resides in the Lady Lever Art Gallery). The titles reflect Godward's source of inspiration: Classical civilisation, most notably that of Ancient Rome (again a subject binding Godward closely to Alma-Tadema artistically), though Ancient Greece sometimes features, thus providing artistic ties, albeit of a more limited extent, with Leighton.
Given that Classical scholarship was more widespread among the potential audience for his paintings during his lifetime than in the present day, meticulous research of detail was important in order to attain a standing as an artist in this genre. Alma-Tadema was, as well as a painter, an archaeologist who attended historical sites and collected artefacts that were later used in his paintings: Godward, too, studied such details as architecture and dress, in order to ensure that his works bore the stamp of authenticity. In addition, Godward painstakingly and meticulously rendered those other important features in his paintings, animal skins (the paintings Noon Day Rest (1910) and A Cool Retreat (1910) contain superb examples of such rendition) and wild flowers (Nerissa (1906), illustrated above, and Summer Flowers (1903) are again excellent examples of this).
The appearance of beautiful women in studied poses in so many of Godward's canvases causes many newcomers to his works to categorise him mistakenly as being Pre-Raphaelite, particularly as his palette is often a vibrantly colourful one. However, the choice of subject matter (ancient civilisation versus, for example, Arthurian legend) is more properly that of the Victorian Neoclassicist: however, it is appropriate to comment that in common with numerous painters contemporary with him, Godward was a 'High Victorian Dreamer', producing beautiful images of a world which, it must be said, was idealised and romanticised, and which in the case of both Godward and Alma-Tadema came to be criticised as a world-view of 'Victorians in togas'.
|
|
|
ARTWORKS INDEX
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ARTISTS INDEX A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
|
|
Wholesale China Oil Painting Wholesale Oil Painting China Xiamen Portrait Reproduction on canvas Chinese Oil Painting Wholesale
|
|
|
|
|
