John William Waterhouse

    John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) is a beloved English Painter. He is often grouped with the Pre-Raphaelites, even though his works were primary painted several decades after the Pre-Raphaelites. Because of this, he is often called “The Modern Pre-Raphaelite”.

"Sleep and His Half Brother Death" (1874)

     In the 1850’s the Waterhouse family moved back to England, where Waterhouse entered the Royal Academy of Art for sculpture, but switched to painting.  Waterhouse’s early paintings were Neo-Classical in nature depicting daily life in Greece and mythology.  His early works were exhibited at the Dudley Gallery and the Society of British Arts. In 1874, his painting ”Sleep and His Half-Brother Death” was exhibited in the Royal Academy’s summer show. It was a success prompting his paintings to be displayed almost continuously at the Royal Academy Shows and even becoming the major pieces of the shows. Due to his successful the size of Waterhouse’s paintings gradually grew larger and larger.

"Lady of Shallot" (1888)

        In 1883, he married Esther Kenworth, an art teacher’s daughter. She had exhibited her flower paintings at the Royal Academy and in other shows. They moved into the Primrose Hill Studios, where other artists such as Arthur Rackham would live. The two did not have any children and much of Waterhouse’s personal life is relatively unknown, since few letters survive. In 1895, Waterhouse joined the Royal Academy as a full academician. He taught at St. John’s Wood Art School, joined the St. John’s Wood Art Club, and was on the Royal Academy’s council.

"Ophelia" (1889)

        His later paintings reflected the Pre-Raphaelites. Many of the paintings subject matters were drawn from mythology, the legends of King Arthur, Victorian Poetry, femme fatales, and Shakespeare. His most famous paintings are series of paintings of the Lady of Shallot and Ophelia. His most famous painting is his 1888 “Lady of Shallot”.

  
       "Ophelia" (1894), "Windflowers" (1902), & "Lamia" (1905)

        Waterhouse became very ill with cancer in his later years, but continued to pain until his death in 1917. He is one of the few artists gained success and fame during his lifetime enabling him to be relatively well off. Today his popularity has endured and his paintings are scattered through museums in England. He is an inspiration to many artists today.

"Miranda" (1916)

Waterhouse Inspired Works on DeviantART

Cassy-Blue