An Auburn Beauty, 1895
John William Godward
Oil on canvas

John William Godward(9 August 1861 – 13 December 1922) was an English painter from the end of the Pre-Raphaelite/Neo-Classicist era. He was a protégé of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema but his style of painting fell out of favour with the arrival of painters like Picasso.

He committed suicide at the age of 61 and is said to have written in his suicide note that “the world was not big enough” for him and a Picasso.

His already estranged family, who had disapproved of him becoming an artist, were ashamed of his suicide and burned his papers.

No photographs of Godward are known to survive.

Dolce Far Niente, 1904 John William Godward Oil on canvas

One of his best known paintings is Dolce far Niente (Sweet Nothings), 1904, which currently resides in the collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber. As in the case of several other paintings, Godward painted more than one version, in this case an earlier (and less well known) 1897 version.

He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1887. When he moved to Italy with one of his models in 1912, his family broke off all contact with him and even cut his image from family pictures. Godward returned to England in 1919, died in 1922 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, west London.

A Lilly Pond John William Godward Oil on canvas

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.

Time To Play John William Godward Oil on canvas

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 civilistion, 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.

Woman with Violets Wreathed and Robe of Saffron, 1902 John William Godward Oil on canvas

Summer Flowers, 1903 John William Godward Oil on canvas

Nerissa, 1906 John William Godward Oil on canvas

Sweet Sounds John William Godward Oil on canvas

Girl in Yellow Drapery, 1901 John William Godward Oil on canvas

deletereply nemo4sun wrote on Feb 9, ’08 soft feminine wonder 🙂

deletereply starfishred wrote on Feb 9, ’08, edited on Feb 9, ’08 these are really wonderful thanks all part of art nervous

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Feb 9, ’08 I love how he paints women with soft colors and delicate features.

deletereply wickedlyinnocent wrote on Feb 9, ’08 The Pre-Raphaelites had a taste both for the delicate and the colourful. Godward added the neo-classic to their softness, lovely images.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Feb 9, ’08 I felt so sad when I read Godward’s biography. He commited suicide because he felt he wasn’t good enough compared to other artists.

deletereply seanymph3 wrote on Feb 9, ’08 Ive always loved his paintings. So sad he didnt feel he could be on the same planet with Picasso. They are so very different and plenty of room for both. In fact I like his better than Picasso’s.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Feb 9, ’08 I like his better than Picasso’s, too, LOL!!! So beautiful. Picasso’s style was so different ! How could anyone compare them together ?

deletereply philsgal7759 wrote on Feb 9, ’08 I like the day dreamy feel of these I can definitely see myself in these

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Feb 9, ’08 I feel so peaceful when I look at these.

deletereply sanssouciblogs wrote on Feb 9, ’08 A magnificent presentation of magnificent art. The colors, textures, and fabrics, the contrast, the scenes are beyond words. They just make you feel so darn good you want to jump in.

Comment deleted at the request of the author.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Feb 10, ’08 I really love the realism that is presented in his art, like you can reach out and feel the texture in their hair, almost like a photograph.

deletereply starfishred wrote on Apr 6, ’08 I did him a while back isn’t he just lovely the way he does the colors it all loks so sureal great blog.

deletereply asolotraveler wrote on Apr 7, ’08 girl in yellow dress is MOST lovely and appeals to all of my senses

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Apr 7, ’08 asolo, do you mean you had another one of your visual orgasms ?