John William Waterhouse is known for depicting beautiful, powerful, and ultimately tragic women from both ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend. This solitary portrayal of Shakespeare’s young star-crossed heroine who strived to express the purity of her love towards Romeo - which was doomed from the start – is perhaps the most famous love story ever written. Juliet is pictured walking alongside a Venetian style canal. Waterhouse apparently made several trips to Italy where he found inspiration for his painting. The soft, gentle line of his brushstrokes gives Juliet a dreamy, whist full and longing look. William Waterhouse’s classical composition captures the romanticism in Shakespeare
The month of January has flown by with much of my time spent with John William Waterhouse.! Yes, you read that right. I’m busy recreating some of his most famous paintings, finding the sheer amount of detail he injects into his mythological and romantic paintings both challenging and rewarding. William Waterhouse painted scenes from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem: ‘The Lady of Shalott’, and it’s these I’ve been focusing on. The main figure – a beautiful enchantress often clad in crimson – has proved fascinating to study, having to take into account his many and varied nuances. The John William Waterhouse Collection will be available to purchase later in the year, please email for further sales
