It’s time for a nice relaxing stroll through some art. This fellow is one of my favorites, but he isn’t one that you would stand in front of one of his pieces and ponder. It’s (rather) the way your feel when you look at his works that matter.

John William Godward was a “English Victorian Neoclassical, Olympian Classical Revivalist artist”. He died in 1922 and has painted at least 203 separate artworks that we know of. He has a unique style, smooth and classical with a stylized form that is actually quite attractive. He is one of my favorite artists.

John William Godward (9 August 1861 – 13 December 1922) was an English painter from the end of the Neo-Classicistera. He was a protégé of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, but his style of painting fell out of favour with the rise of modern art.

-Wikiart

You can see his entire collection of works here.

The Old, Old Story

I think that it doesn’t matter what culture you are in, what society your come from, or what time period you live in; we all fall in love. And this fact, and the pure beauty of it, is very significant. Which makes this painting adorable…

The Tigerskin

Back in the day, when this painting was made, the possession of tiger, lion and other sins of animals was a sign of your power and experience. It was equated with wealth. this, I like to believe, was a carry over from days centuries ago.

It pains me to think that people killed these magnificent animals for their skins, but humans have always been rather primitive beings. Anyways, Goddard does a nice job in painting the skins as well as the details on the marble surfaces.

A Priestess of Bacchus

Bacchus was the Roman god of agriculture, wine and fertility, equivalent to the Greek god Dionysus. Dionysius was said to be the last god to join the twelve Olympians. Supposedly, Hestia gave up her seat for him. His plants were vines and twirling ivy.

-Bacchus - Simple English Wikipedia

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She certainly looks comfortable. I’ll bet that the dress is remarkable, and you well imagine being on the coast… wearing fine relaxing comfortable clothes… and enjoying the day. It appeals to me.

A Fair Reflection

As an artist, I admire the softness and shading of the woman’s arms. I love the colors of the hair and the contrast between it and the marble wall behind her, as well as the details on the folds of the dress.

You will notice how the artist managed to show how the dress clung to her chest and how the textured and patterned belt gathered around her waist. It’s awfully lovely.

Waiting for an Answer

Women, girls… they can read men so very easily. And as such we are all like “putty in their hands”. But this is all timeless. It doesn’t matter if you are from Columbia, Israel, or ancient Greece. It’s all the same. Man courts woman, and she weighs her options.

Timeless.

Innocent Amusements

I love these calm and pleasant classical scenes.

There’s no serious or deep meanings behind them. Instead, they remind you of calmer and easier time. A time when the pace of life was easy.

The Engagement Ring

Likewise we can see and feel the emotion behind the story for the ring that the woman is admiring within this painting.

A Priestess

Lovely. As I have stated before, the details on the hand and the hair are just awesome.

The Betrothed

Another painting toying with a precious ring.

A Dilettante

A person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler. a lover of an art or science, especially of a fine art.

-Dilettante | Definition of Dilettante at Dictionary.com

The Posy

It’s a simple painting and a simpler subject matter.

Dolce Far Niente

Dolce far niente is an Italian phrase for pleasantly doing nothing. An example of dolce far niente is what someone would say to describe that they are laying on a blanket gazing at trees in Florence. 

-Dolce far niente dictionary definition

Mischief and Repose

Reclining on a tiger skin draped over a marble ledge, a young woman, Repose, is disturbed from slumber by her companion, Mischief, who pesters her with a dress pin. They wear diaphanous robes fashioned after chitons worn by women in ancient Greece. Another dress pin and a hair ribbon lie scattered on the marble floor.

Following the excavations of Pompeii, which began in 1748, artists were fascinated with Greek and Roman life. John William Godward painted many scenes like this one of idealized beauties in calm, often sterile environments. In this painting, the figure of Repose is arranged seductively, with her breast and nipple showing through the thin material of her dress. But there is something distinctly untouchable about these women; they do not engage the viewer with an inviting gaze nor solicit personal contact. Like their antique setting, they possess a monumental, marmoreal quality, resembling Greek statues frozen in time.

Do you want more?

I have more posts in my Art Index, here…

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