Unlike many of the other Pre
Raphaelites, Waterhouse came from an artistic background. He was born in Rome and both his parents were
painters.. Many of his works were set in
Ancient Rome, and he was knowledgeable about Roman Mythology. In
1854, the family returned to England, setting up home in Kensington, where many
artists lived. They were based near the new Victoria and Albert Museum and
Waterhouse was encouraged in his artistic leanings. He studied sculpture at the Royal Academy but
then moved on to art and began to paint in the classical style…He was a successful
artist form early on and began to exhibit regularly at the Academy.
In 1883, he married Esther Kenworthy, She was a professional
artist as well, specialising in flower paintings. Waterhouse’s marriage seems to have been uneventful
and happy but his paintings were mainly of beautiful and sweet faced women. Many
of the earlier works were of classical themes such as Circe, or paintings of
the courts of Roman emperors, also one of Cleopatra and “Ulysses and the
Sirens.”
Later, he moved on to Pre Raphaelite
themes, painting subjects that other Pre Raphaelite artists had covered. He
painted a particularly beautiful Ophelia, with her flowers and a blue
gown. Like most PRB artists he turned to
Shakespeare and English poets for themes, such as “The Lady of Shallott”
(Elaine of the Arthurian Legends). He painted
“La Belle Dame Sans Merci” which was based on the Keats Poem…
There is a study of Miranda in the Tempest
viewing the storm that drives the ship onto their island. Another “British legend”
painting is a one of Tristan and Isolde on a ship. Many of the paintings are of beautiful women outdoors,
gathering flowers… such as “Windflowers”, or “Gather Ye Rosebuds”. There were a few semi nudes, including one of
a mermaid..)
He returned to Ophelia as a subject in later
life but became ill with cancer in 1915 and died in 1917.
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