Portrait of a Young Woman

The present work was painted at the height of Godward's career and the year before he made his first trip to Rome, to where he would eventually move. His choice of location was partly precipitated by his relationship with an Italian model, and in 1911, when he spent most of his time in London, we see references in his paintings to this romance. Paintings such as Will He Ne'er Come Back Again and On the Balcony sensitively evoke the distress of parted lovers. The present work could be described as a companion piece to A Classical Beauty of the same year in which what appears to be the same model is featured against a similar marble wall facing to the right. It is also comparable in composition to Perilla, also from 1911, in which the model wears the same headdress.

Dr. Vern Swanson has authenticated this work and has suggested that the present work is one of four woman: Cydipee, Carina, Sabina, or Sabelle. This work will be including in Dr. Swanson's forthcoming second edition of the artist's catalogue raisonné.