Megilla

Godward produced two known works in 1921; a small tondo canvas entitled Crispinella which depicts a bust length portrait of a young black-haired Roman maiden, and the present work depicting, Megilla, a native of Locris and remarkable for her beauty, Vern Swanson considers Megilla 'one of the finest of the artist's half-length profiles' (op. cit., p. 113). It is unknown if they were painted in Italy or England since he left Rome in May or June that year, vacating his studio in Villa Strohl-Fern and seeking better medical treatment for his ailing health. He reclaimed the garden studio of no. 410 Fulham Road which had formerly been lived in by another artist, William Wontner and his wife Jessie. Godward's son Charles Arthur and his wife Gertrude moved into the main house. He spent his remaining days in this location. Despite the lower productivity in his last years, he maintained the high level of quality of his works and the present works exemplifies the serene beauty and astonishing technical execution for which he is famous.