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'. Related Paintings of John William Godward :. | Flabellifera | Noonday Rest | A Classical Beauty | At the Thermae | Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder | Related Artists: lorens pasch d. yLorens Pasch d.y., född 1733, död 1805, konstnär; professor vid Konstakademien från 1773. Son till Lorens Pasch d.ä., bror till Ulrika Pasch, brorsson till Johan Pasch. Invald tillsammans med sin syster i Konstakademien 1773. Emilio Magistretti(Milan, 1851 - 1936) was an Italian painter.
Magistretti studied at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts from 1871 to 1875 under the guidance of Francesco Hayez and then accompanied him on his Italian journey of 1879. He worked initially in a range of different areas, from genre scenes to religious subjects and perspective painting, and successfully tried his hand at painting portraits, animals and landscapes at the turn of the century. He began to establish his reputation as an artist in 1880, when he was awarded a prize by the Ministry of Education, and became well known as a painter of moderately naturalistic portraits particularly appreciated by the middle-class establishment. An autobiography richly illustrated with reproductions of his most celebrated works was published in 1926.
Charles JervasCharles Jervas (c. 1675 - 1739) was an Irish portrait painter, translator, and art collector of the early 18th century.
Born in County Offaly,Ireland around 1675, the son of John Jervas and Elizabeth, daughter of Captain John Baldwin of Shinrone Castle & Corolanty, High Sheriff of County Offaly. Jervas studied in London, England as an assistant under Sir Godfrey Kneller between 1694 and 1695.
After selling a series of small copies of the Raphael Cartoons circa 1698 to Dr. George Clarke of All Souls College, Oxford, the following year he travelled to Paris and Rome (while financially supported by Clarke and others) remaining there for most of the decade before returning to London in 1709 where he found success as a portrait painter.
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