At The Window by John William Godward

John William Godward
1861-1922 | British

At the Window

Signed and dated "J.W. Godward. 1920" (lower right)
Signed, inscribed and dated "At The Window/J.W.Godward. Rome.1920” (en verso)
Oil on canvas

A breathtaking quintessential work by John William Godward, this intriguing composition captures a classical beauty in a moment of quiet reflection as she gazes from a marble windowsill. Celebrated as one of the most important Neoclassical painters at the turn of the century, Godward's career was devoted to a segment of Classicism known as the Marble School which championed rendering Greco-Roman subjects placed amongst period architectural settings.

Though he worked throughout the late 19th century into the 1920s, Godward’s elegant and ethereal compositions provided an escape from the present day and beckoned viewers to lose themselves in a bygone era of classical serenity. Godward rendered his idyllic scenes with a degree of sensuality and technical mastery that remains unsurpassed.

The present work, entitled At the Window, perfectly embodies Godward’s oeuvre. The beautiful subject leans out from a marble aperture with a contemplative gaze. Her elegant peach-colored Grecian gown is punctuated by a deep magenta sash draping down from her waist, accentuating her graceful and sensuous form. Godward renders his idyllic subject and setting with keen detail, carefully painting the veins of various types of marble and his subject’s toe peeking out from beneath the hem of her gown. Of Godward's compelling oeuvre, esteemed art historian Vern Grosvenor Swanson wrote, “He sought to portray peace, feminine charm and ideal perfection by marvelously painted and composed classical pictures of beautiful women in halcyon marble environments.” 

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 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 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.

Dated 1920

Canvas: 31 1/2" high x 16" wide (80.01 cm x 40.64 cm)
Frame: 42 3/4" high x 27 1/8" wide x 3 3/4" deep (108.59 cm x 68.9 cm x 9.53 cm)

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Provenance:
Sale, Christie's London, Thursday, June 7, 2007, lot 00042
Private collection, London
M.S. Rau, New Orleans