Memories by John William Godward, 1910
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An exceptional oil entitled Memories by John William Godward, painted in the Neoclassical style
Key Features
- An exceptional oil by the famed English Victorian Neoclassicist John William Godward
- Entitled Memories, this intimate portrait captures a young woman lost in a reverie
- Godward is widely considered to be one the most important classical painters of the Victorian era
- Iincluded in Vern G. Swanson's catalogue raisonné John William Godward: The Eclipse of Classicism
- Signed "J.W. Godward" and dated 1910 (lower left); dated Rome 1910, and inscribed "Memories"
- Canvas: 48 1/8" high x 28 ¾" wide; Frame: 58" high x 39" wide
Item Details
- Width:
29 3/4 Inches - Period:
Neo Classicism - Origin:
England/Ireland - Subject:
Miscellaneous - Artist:
Other
John William Godward, R.B.A.
1861-1922 · British
Memories
Oil on canvas
Signed "J.W. Godward" and dated 1910 (lower left);
also signed J.W. Godward, dated Rome 1910, and inscribed "Memories" on the reverse
Canvas: 48 1/8" high x 28 ¾" wide
Frame: 58" high x 39" wide
Provenance:
Messrs. Eugène Cremetti, London, September 8, 1910
Sale: Christie's, London, December 21, 1933, lot 26 (to D.T. Brown of Colwyn Bay North Wales)
Mr. Cresner
Literature:
This painting is included in the catalogue raisonné John William Godward: The Eclipse of Classicism, 1988, Vern G. Swanson, p. 226, no. 10
A most extraordinary work by John William Godward, widely considered to be one of the most important and influential classical painters of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Entitled Memories, this work provides an intimate portrait of Godward's subject, a young woman lost in a reverie of things past. Painted in 1910, Memories embodies Godward's lifelong preoccupation with depicting beautiful young women in classical-inspired dress residing in dream-like, Arcadian settings. The dramatic palette, luxurious fabrics and classical vision are all characteristic of this remarkable artist. Godward's work is most celebrated for its implicit sensuality and masterful, naturalistic detail. His stunning canvases have enjoyed a resurgence in the past few years and he is now among the most celebrated and in-demand English artists on the market today.
Along with his contemporary and mentor, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, John William set the tone for the Victorian Neoclassicist aesthetic. He built an illustrious career upon creating images of idealized feminine beauty, infused with sensuality and masterful naturalistic detail, within a Graeco-Roman-inspired style. Though greatly influenced by Alma-Tadema, Godward distinguished himself through his predilection for the solitary female figure. His fame rose dramatically in the first few years of the twentieth century due to the burgeoning strength of the British Empire. His popularity was due in large part to the Victorian society's preoccupation with ancient Rome. To many of the newly affluent, Roman society was, as Iain Gale writes, "a flawless mirror of their own immaculate world" Godward's work, with his dark haired beauties idling in diaphanous gowns, was a direct reflection of this pervasive view. His work has enjoyed a resurgence in the past few years and he is now the most celebrated and in-demand English artist on the market today
Associations:
Member of the Royal Society of British Artists
Artist's Exhibitions:
The Royal Academy
Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street
Royal Glasgow Institute for the Fine Arts
The Royal Institute of Painters in Oil Colors
The Paris Salon
Paris Exhibition Universelle (1900/1914)
The Rome International (Gold Medal, 1913)
Artist's Museums:
The J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, California
The Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico
The Forbes Magazine Collection
The Manchester City Art Gallery, England
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, England
The Western Kenya Museum, Kenya
References:
John William Godward, The Eclipse of Classicism, 1998, Vern Grosvenor Swanson, Ph.D.
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 1976, E. Bénézit
Popular 19th-Century Painting, A Dictionary of European Genre Painters, 1987, Philip Hook and Mark Poltimore
Dictionary of Artists Who Have Exhibited Works in the Principal London Exhibitions From 1760-1893, 1901/1970, Algernon Graves, F.S.A.
1861-1922 · British
Memories
Oil on canvas
Signed "J.W. Godward" and dated 1910 (lower left);
also signed J.W. Godward, dated Rome 1910, and inscribed "Memories" on the reverse
Canvas: 48 1/8" high x 28 ¾" wide
Frame: 58" high x 39" wide
Provenance:
Messrs. Eugène Cremetti, London, September 8, 1910
Sale: Christie's, London, December 21, 1933, lot 26 (to D.T. Brown of Colwyn Bay North Wales)
Mr. Cresner
Literature:
This painting is included in the catalogue raisonné John William Godward: The Eclipse of Classicism, 1988, Vern G. Swanson, p. 226, no. 10
A most extraordinary work by John William Godward, widely considered to be one of the most important and influential classical painters of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Entitled Memories, this work provides an intimate portrait of Godward's subject, a young woman lost in a reverie of things past. Painted in 1910, Memories embodies Godward's lifelong preoccupation with depicting beautiful young women in classical-inspired dress residing in dream-like, Arcadian settings. The dramatic palette, luxurious fabrics and classical vision are all characteristic of this remarkable artist. Godward's work is most celebrated for its implicit sensuality and masterful, naturalistic detail. His stunning canvases have enjoyed a resurgence in the past few years and he is now among the most celebrated and in-demand English artists on the market today.
Along with his contemporary and mentor, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, John William set the tone for the Victorian Neoclassicist aesthetic. He built an illustrious career upon creating images of idealized feminine beauty, infused with sensuality and masterful naturalistic detail, within a Graeco-Roman-inspired style. Though greatly influenced by Alma-Tadema, Godward distinguished himself through his predilection for the solitary female figure. His fame rose dramatically in the first few years of the twentieth century due to the burgeoning strength of the British Empire. His popularity was due in large part to the Victorian society's preoccupation with ancient Rome. To many of the newly affluent, Roman society was, as Iain Gale writes, "a flawless mirror of their own immaculate world" Godward's work, with his dark haired beauties idling in diaphanous gowns, was a direct reflection of this pervasive view. His work has enjoyed a resurgence in the past few years and he is now the most celebrated and in-demand English artist on the market today
Associations:
Member of the Royal Society of British Artists
Artist's Exhibitions:
The Royal Academy
Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street
Royal Glasgow Institute for the Fine Arts
The Royal Institute of Painters in Oil Colors
The Paris Salon
Paris Exhibition Universelle (1900/1914)
The Rome International (Gold Medal, 1913)
Artist's Museums:
The J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, California
The Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico
The Forbes Magazine Collection
The Manchester City Art Gallery, England
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, England
The Western Kenya Museum, Kenya
References:
John William Godward, The Eclipse of Classicism, 1998, Vern Grosvenor Swanson, Ph.D.
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 1976, E. Bénézit
Popular 19th-Century Painting, A Dictionary of European Genre Painters, 1987, Philip Hook and Mark Poltimore
Dictionary of Artists Who Have Exhibited Works in the Principal London Exhibitions From 1760-1893, 1901/1970, Algernon Graves, F.S.A.
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