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Lot Essay
The details of Godward's life are shrouded in mystery. That he became an artist against family wishes is scarcely unusual for the 19th Century; however it was his reclusive nature - he declined invitations to become a member of the Royal Academy and, from 1905, ceased to exhibit at all in England - that has resulted in such a frustrating dearth of information concerning his life and works.
The present work dates from a period that saw Godward's reputation established amongst the late Victorian Classicists, and it shows his increasing inclination in the early 1890s away from multi-figure groupings towards more pared-down, single figure compositions, infused with a rich and studied mixture of technical élan and heady exoticism.
The present work dates from a period that saw Godward's reputation established amongst the late Victorian Classicists, and it shows his increasing inclination in the early 1890s away from multi-figure groupings towards more pared-down, single figure compositions, infused with a rich and studied mixture of technical élan and heady exoticism.