🎉 Up to 70% Off Selected ItemsShop Sale
HomeStore

A Pompeian Lady in Blue by John William Godward

A Pompeian Lady in Blue by John William Godward

John William Godward
1861-1922 | British

A Pompeian Lady in Blue

Signed and dated lower right "J.W. Godward 1916"
Oil on canvas

This masterwork by John William Godward, A Pompeian Lady in Blue, evokes the romantic splendor of the Classical world. Celebrated as one of the most important Neoclassical painters at the turn of the century, Godward's career was devoted to a style of Classicism known as the "Marble School," which rendered Greco-Roman beauties in their exquisite architectural settings.

Draped in a brilliant tunic of gold and blue, Godward's signature beauty gazes boldly out at the viewer, inviting them in by pulling back a luxurious curtain. His exceptional talent for jewel-like color and texture is on full display, with each element of the composition rendered with a supreme, naturalistic finish. Godward renders an extraordinary array of marbles and hardstones throughout, with the delightful detail of an agate oculus window shining above the figure's head. Embodying the essence of "peace, feminine charm and ideal perfection" that art historian Vern Grosvenor Swanson identified in Godward's best works, this painting is a captivating treasure.

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 fallen under the influence of British Neoclassical Revivalists Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lord Frederic Leighton, and Sir Edward John Poynter, Godward quickly rivaled their style. The sensuality and mystery of Godward’s maidens, combined with his impressive 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. 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. Today, his works belong to prestigious collections worldwide, including the Getty Museum and the Manchester Art Gallery.

Dated 1916

Canvas: 35 3/8” high x 17 1/4” wide (89.7 x 43.8 cm)
Framed: 42 5/8” high x 24 1/2” wide x 2 3/8” deep (108.3 x 62.2 x 5.9 cm)

Provenance:
Private Collection, New Jersey
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Literature:
Vern Grosvenor Swanson, John William Godward: The Eclipse of Classicism, London, 1998, p. 151, plate 147, illustrated. Titled:A Pompeian Lady.
$204,750.00

Original: $585,000.00

-65%
A Pompeian Lady in Blue by John William Godward—

$585,000.00

$204,750.00
Product image 1
Product image 2
Product image 3
Product image 4
Product image 5
Product image 6
Product image 7

Description

John William Godward
1861-1922 | British

A Pompeian Lady in Blue

Signed and dated lower right "J.W. Godward 1916"
Oil on canvas

This masterwork by John William Godward, A Pompeian Lady in Blue, evokes the romantic splendor of the Classical world. Celebrated as one of the most important Neoclassical painters at the turn of the century, Godward's career was devoted to a style of Classicism known as the "Marble School," which rendered Greco-Roman beauties in their exquisite architectural settings.

Draped in a brilliant tunic of gold and blue, Godward's signature beauty gazes boldly out at the viewer, inviting them in by pulling back a luxurious curtain. His exceptional talent for jewel-like color and texture is on full display, with each element of the composition rendered with a supreme, naturalistic finish. Godward renders an extraordinary array of marbles and hardstones throughout, with the delightful detail of an agate oculus window shining above the figure's head. Embodying the essence of "peace, feminine charm and ideal perfection" that art historian Vern Grosvenor Swanson identified in Godward's best works, this painting is a captivating treasure.

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 fallen under the influence of British Neoclassical Revivalists Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Lord Frederic Leighton, and Sir Edward John Poynter, Godward quickly rivaled their style. The sensuality and mystery of Godward’s maidens, combined with his impressive 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. 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. Today, his works belong to prestigious collections worldwide, including the Getty Museum and the Manchester Art Gallery.

Dated 1916

Canvas: 35 3/8” high x 17 1/4” wide (89.7 x 43.8 cm)
Framed: 42 5/8” high x 24 1/2” wide x 2 3/8” deep (108.3 x 62.2 x 5.9 cm)

Provenance:
Private Collection, New Jersey
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Literature:
Vern Grosvenor Swanson, John William Godward: The Eclipse of Classicism, London, 1998, p. 151, plate 147, illustrated. Titled:A Pompeian Lady.