The Tambourine Girl by John William Godward
- Item No.
Print Page
The Tambourine Girl displays Godward's mastery of the Neo-Classical genre
Key Features
Click to See Complete Item Details »
- A beauty clad in violet gossamer with tambourine in hand is the subject of this painting by Godward
- John William Godward is considered the top British Neoclassical artist of his time
- The Tambourine Girl was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1906
- This painting is also featured in Vern G. Swanson's definitive book on Godward
- Signed and dated "JW Godward 1906"; Oil on canvas
- Canvas: 23" high x 12" wide; Frame: 35" high x 23" wide
Item Details
- Width:
C:12"; F:23" Inches - Height:
C:23"; F:35" Inches - Period:
20th Century - Origin:
England/Ireland - Subject:
Miscellaneous - Artist:
Godward, John William
John William Godward
1861-1922 · British
The Tambourine Girl
Signed and dated "JW Godward 1906"
Oil on Canvas
John William Godward is considered among the top British Neoclassical artists of his time. His career was devoted to a segment of Classicism known as the Marble School, with Greco-Roman subjects placed within elaborate settings that often centered upon marble architectual elements. His elegantly adorned beauties are depicted with a degree of technical mastery that remains unsurpassed. This particular painting entitled The Tambourine Girl is a culmination of the classical elements for which Godward is world-renown. The dramatic palette, luxurious fabrics and classical vision utilized in this work are all hallmarks 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.
Raised in Wimbledon, England, Godward debuted at London's Royal Academy exhibition in 1887. By the subsequent decade the burgeoning artist was on a steady ascent to artistic success. Having fell under the influence of British Neoclassical Revivalists Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lord Frederic Leighton, and Sir Edward John Poynter, Godward quickly adopted, if not rivaled, their style. He envisioned similar scenes of the ancient world, seamlessly blending antiquity and beauty in breathtaking compositions. The sensuality and mystery of Godward's maidens, combined with his impressive antique backdrops, attracted fans across Europe and sent Godward on a rapid ascent to artistic stardom. In 1889 he was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists. Ten years later Godward debuted at the Parisian Salon of 1899, where again he was heaped with praise. In the early years of the 20th century, however, Godward was faced with the painful reality that the classical world he so loved was being overshadowed by modern art movements. He moved to Rome in 1912 to surround himself with the physical remnants of the classical world, and there he stayed for the major part of his remaining career.
Canvas: 23" high x 12" wide
Frame: 35" high x 23" wide
Literature:John William Godward, The Eclipse of Classicism, Vern G. Swanson Ph.D, pages 84, 218, 278.
A Companion to Victorian and Edwardian Artists, Adrian Vincent, pages 114, 115.
Exhibition:Paris Salon, 1906
Artist's Select Museums:
J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, California
Museo de Arte De Ponce, Puerto Rico
Forbes Magazine Collection
Manchester City Art Gallery
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum
Artist's Exhibitions:
Royal Academy, London
Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street
Royal Glasgow Institute for the Fine Arts
Royal Institute of Painters in Oil Colors
Salon, Paris
Paris Exhibition Universelle (1900/1914)
Rome International (Gold Medal, 1913)
Artist's Associations:
Member of the Royal Society of British Artists
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
The Tambourine Girl
Signed and dated "JW Godward 1906"
Oil on Canvas
John William Godward is considered among the top British Neoclassical artists of his time. His career was devoted to a segment of Classicism known as the Marble School, with Greco-Roman subjects placed within elaborate settings that often centered upon marble architectual elements. His elegantly adorned beauties are depicted with a degree of technical mastery that remains unsurpassed. This particular painting entitled The Tambourine Girl is a culmination of the classical elements for which Godward is world-renown. The dramatic palette, luxurious fabrics and classical vision utilized in this work are all hallmarks 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.
Raised in Wimbledon, England, Godward debuted at London's Royal Academy exhibition in 1887. By the subsequent decade the burgeoning artist was on a steady ascent to artistic success. Having fell under the influence of British Neoclassical Revivalists Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lord Frederic Leighton, and Sir Edward John Poynter, Godward quickly adopted, if not rivaled, their style. He envisioned similar scenes of the ancient world, seamlessly blending antiquity and beauty in breathtaking compositions. The sensuality and mystery of Godward's maidens, combined with his impressive antique backdrops, attracted fans across Europe and sent Godward on a rapid ascent to artistic stardom. In 1889 he was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists. Ten years later Godward debuted at the Parisian Salon of 1899, where again he was heaped with praise. In the early years of the 20th century, however, Godward was faced with the painful reality that the classical world he so loved was being overshadowed by modern art movements. He moved to Rome in 1912 to surround himself with the physical remnants of the classical world, and there he stayed for the major part of his remaining career.
Canvas: 23" high x 12" wide
Frame: 35" high x 23" wide
Literature:John William Godward, The Eclipse of Classicism, Vern G. Swanson Ph.D, pages 84, 218, 278.
A Companion to Victorian and Edwardian Artists, Adrian Vincent, pages 114, 115.
Exhibition:Paris Salon, 1906
Artist's Select Museums:
J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, California
Museo de Arte De Ponce, Puerto Rico
Forbes Magazine Collection
Manchester City Art Gallery
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum
Artist's Exhibitions:
Royal Academy, London
Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street
Royal Glasgow Institute for the Fine Arts
Royal Institute of Painters in Oil Colors
Salon, Paris
Paris Exhibition Universelle (1900/1914)
Rome International (Gold Medal, 1913)
Artist's Associations:
Member of the Royal Society of British Artists
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.
