The Great Neo-Classical Painter John Godward & his Women

John William Godward was born in 1861 to Sarah Eboral and John Godward who was an investment clerk at the Law Life Assurance Society in London. He lived in Wilton Grove, Wimbledon and was the eldest of 5. His grandfather William Godward had worked in the life investment business and made some investments in the Great Northern Railways which had been formed in 1846. This had succeeded. His father John Godward had followed in his father’s footsteps and worked as an investment clerk. When William died John inherited a lot of money. So the Godwards were a well to do middle class family. His parents were very strict and expected the children to follow their fatherg. Three younger brothers Alfred, Edmund, and Charles enthusiastically entered the world of insurance. As the eldest, John William was forced to work as an insurance clerk but hated it.

It is not known how John William developed a taste for art, but his family despised it. They regarded the path of a professional artist as a path of lowly status, a slight on family values. In 1887 at the age of 26, John William decided to move away from his family. He rented a small atelier in the Bolton Studios in Gilston Road, Kensington. There were many such ateliers and artist such as Théodore Roussel, George Morton, St. George Hare, George Lawrence Bulleid and William Reynolds-Stephens were nearby. This was a good place to exchange ideas and meet. The push for the move also came from the acceptance by the Royal Academy of John William’s painting for that year’s Summer Exhibition. For young artists, the opportunity to exhibit was a big deal, often leading to fame and sales. Godward was firmly on the path to becoming a professional artist. In 1889, Godward created some 20 plus paintings which went to his favored art dealer Thomas Miller McLean who sold many of his works. One of the paintings was “Waiting for an answer” shown on the left. It is typical Godward art with a beautiful slim woman in classical dress, languid pose, amide animal skins and huge marble structures. All typical of Godward. The man on the right is said to be Godward himself. Because of Godward’s estranglement, his family destroyed all images of the artist so this might be the only image existing.

In 1904 his father died and in 1905 Godward went to Italy for the first time. He journeyed around the Gulf of Naples, visited Sorrento and the historical site of Pompeii which became one of his favorite places. After this, in 1912, Godward moved to Italy and stayed there for about 10 years. The reason is unclear but it is said that he moved with one of his models. This could be construed as a liaison between a woman of low repute and a Godward. The Godward family was vehemently oposed. They cut off Godward compleletely. About 10 years later Godward returned to England in 1921 becuase of ill health and committed suicided in 1922. He was only 61. When his family heard they were ashamed of him and burned his papers. That is why there are no images of him left.

When Godward suicided, he left a note “The world is not big enough for both myself and a Picasso”. Godward had come far in the neo-classical style, exhibiting numerous paintings at the pretigeous Royal Academy, but his style had gone out of favor. Godward was probably the most talented artist in the classical style but artists were pioneering new fields of art. Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism etc.. Godward had gone far but not far enough.

In short Godward was a Victorian Neo-classicist. A follower of Frederic Leighton of president of the Royal Academy. It is also said he was the protégée of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema and shared a tendency to paint classical architecture constructed with marble. His main subjects were beautiful women in classical dress, maybe Roman style togas posing against the marble. Also included in his oeuvre were semi nude or nude women.