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| J.W. Godward: the Eclipse of Classicism, by Vern Grosvenor Swanson, Phd |
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The Villa Strohl-Fern was situated on Monti Parioli to the left of the main entrance of the Gardens of the Villa Borghese and near Villa Poniatowski in the suburb of Porta del Popolo. The oval shaped Piazza del Popolo and terraced gardens were designed by Giuseppe Valadier in 1818. Located just to the east was the hugh Borghese park, which measured eight kilometers wide, including the Pincio Gardens and Hall. The Villa Strohl-Fern was close to the Piazza del Popolo, at the north end of the Via de Corso. This green oasis was approached from the smallish Piazza Flaminio up the Via de Ruffo to its main iron gate. The Villa's grounds of about twenty-five acres were surrounded by high impenetrable walls and steep cliffs.
He purchased these rather large grounds of crown pine and Lebanon cedar, gigantic magnolia, alder, cypresses in 1879 as a hermitage "far away from the world." Inside the enclosure, it was like a "forbidden city" in a park so severe, savage and wild. It was also close to a zoological garden and the screaming beasts gave a surreal atmosphere to the villas. The uninterrupted croaking of frogs, hoots of owls and song of the nightingale cast their spell over the enchanted villa. French artillerymen destroyed a whore-house that rose nearly to the north summit of English Hill. On the perimeters of this whorehouse, Strohl-Fern designed and built his residence in a half neo-Gothic and half Romantic style, recalling Arnold Boecklin's 1880 version of The Island of the Dead painting. On the entrance gate to Strohl-Fern's residence was his symbol, an asp, with the cartiglio "eclair ne broye." There was a certain Bohemian ambiance about the labyrinth maze of studios that Strohl-Fern was beginning to build for an artist's colony. Mingled among rare plants, they were built along shaded paths and terraces reminiscent of the magical Paunch Gardens, close to the Villa Borghese.207 They were custom built and of fine quality. By 1882 he had already constructed about nine beautiful "studii di Pittura e Scultura."208 Arnold Bocklin was among the first artists in the Villa coming in 1880. There was the German sculptor Emil Fuchs in the Villa from 1880 to 1884 with his mistress, the painter Barbara Leoni. Within this forest grew flowers of every kind, dahlia to zinnias. Above all were the many "canine" roses, found in the Legend painted by Edward Burne-Jones. Among the more acclaimed artists at the villa was the troubled Russian painter, Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel (1856-1910) who came in 1891 hoping for peace of mind. Then there was the even more famous Russian artist, Ilya E. Repin (1844-1930) who painted a portrait of the gruff Alfred Strohl-Fern. Repin was in Rome between March and June of 1911 about the time Godward began to move to the city. Perhaps John William was the occupant of Repin's studio just after Repin's departure? By the end of the century had become an important artist center in Rome with its studios being highly sought after. With its high walls and primal wilderness, it was a perfect place for a reclusive artist like Godward, who wished a life of seclusion and solitude. But how Godward, an outsider, was able to acquire one of the studios is unknown. Perhaps the eccentric Strohl-Fern felt that since it was called "English Hill" that at least one Englishman should be there. Or perhaps because Godward had the financial capital to pay above the going rate? Toward the end of his life, the eccentric Strohl-Fern seems to have lost most of his wealth and the gardens become ran-down. Presumably he needed the money. Strohl-Fern was a lover of Classical antiquity. He had a large garden filled with Roman antiquities. He must have seen in Godward someone who would have appreciated his collection and Godward, for his part, would have been attracted to these studios because of the ancient marbles.209 In this very private artistic environment Godward found a place to paint his "Classical beauties." Flint's comments that Godward "worked steadily at his Greek maidens" was a typical English understatement. In might be said that he "didn't have a life" in the sense that his work seemed to be the only thing in his life. We know of no hobbles or outside interests, only painting of pictures. Ivy Godward recollected from the short time she lived at No.410 Fulham Road, that: Undoubtedly this was his modus in Rome as well. The old adage of "He was too busy cutting wood that he didn't have time to sharpen the saw," would seem appropriate. Except we know from a few directly observed plein air oil studies he painted on travels in the Italian countryside. They show a sweep and perception unknown in his typical commercial "product." These pieces were not souvenir pieces, but were part of the 'process' of his art.
His superior Golden Hours (1913) was also exhibited at the Rome Internationale exhibition but did not win any awards. The painting must have been a personal favourite of the artist for he uncharacteristically writes on the back stretcher bar, "One of My Masterpieces." He seems to have kept it back for other exhibitions, ie., Paris Universale Exposition 1914 and the Brussels Exposition Internationale of 1919. He must have felt comfortable with the idea of the picture's ability to represent him. It is not known if he exhibited it or any other painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti (Roma) or the Accademia St. Lucca, both in Rome. A delightful picture representing "young love" is found in the artist's Le Billet Doux (1913). A young Roman girl in pink tunic with green bands and purple stola, sits atop a marble balustrade. She reads a letter from her suitor with tickets for two that evening. Behind her is a marble statue of the young Hercules. In the distance can be seen an awkwardly painted temple, unfortunately placed in the center of the composition. Godward would often place these faraway structures in his pictures but paint them without softening their edges with intervening veils of mist. This overweening clarity often sacrificed poetic ephemerality in his work. While most of Godward's paintings during his early Roman period were cast out of doors, In the Tepidarium (1913) was painted in the steam-room of an ancient thermae (bath). Certainly Godward's most effective nude painting. One might say that the painting was not particularly graceful nor erotic. Rather "sturdy" and "sedate" more adequately describes the picture. The Roman beauty holds a drape that covers everything but her modesty. | |
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Ironically, Godward's London domicile on Fulham Road would eventually be transformed into artists studio's, not unlike the Villa Strohl-Fern. Entitled "the Italian Villas" along the same lines its Roman counterpart, the Chelsea Studios became inhabited by artists Godward would have equally disliked. A publication on the "Artists of the Villa Strohl-Fern" mentions the artists of the 1913-16 period: A new community of ideas in a Fauvist and Symbolist mode was beginning to sweep Rome. With extreme boldness it belatedly paralleled northern Europe's experience with the Post Avant-garde. De Chirico, Carra' and Morandi attempted a "Return to Tradition," while the Futurist "Destruction of Tradition" respectively sought to invigorate the arts. Between 1918 and Godward's demise in 1922, these schools battled in exhibitions at the Pincio, close by the Villa Strohl-Fern. The modernist Italian Futurist and Metaphysical artists were making inroads by calling for the destruction of "Classical Art" as Godward knew it. All this was certainly to the chagrin of artists like Godward. John William however was blithely unaware of such erosive forces, knowing only that admiration of "Classical" painting "wasn't what it used to be."
We see in Godward's Tranquility (1914) a greater proportion of his canvases consumed by landscape elements. During his Italian period he has taken the model out of doors more often. A petite panorama, the picture forecasts the 'look and feel' of his later watercolours. The empty portion of the marble exedra seat seems to beckon another visitor, but the maiden waits peacefully for her suitor to arrive. Here his model wears slippers rather than sandals, which is most unusual in Godward's pictures. Godward had gone to Rome, ostensibly to partake of the climate - artistic and otherwise. He had one of the best studio's in which to work in Rome. He was now fifty-four, in the prime of life, and poised to do great things. Yet in 1915 his known paintings were down to just five pictures annually. Did he not paint or are we just unaware of the full extent of his oeuvre during this period? Both seems to be the case. He probably, because of declining health ceased to be as prolific as in the past. Mostly though it is our knowledge of his work which is lacking. The letters of copyright to Messrs. Eugene Cremetti, undoubtedly continued after he left England in 1912. But they were kept in Rome, only to be destroyed by Edmund and Alfred Godward when they closed John William's estate in Rome in 1923. This invaluable source of information now ceases and the extent of his oeuvre during this period is impossible to determine. Also the Great War which interrupted a number of things. After the commencement of hostilities in August of 1914, not a single picture is known to have been sold through his dealer Eugene Cremetti. All pictures painted after this date are known randomly through the art market, mostly in the London and New York auctions. In the past we would have record of sundry McLean/Cremetti exhibition catalogues recording numerous Godward paintings. Because of the war, these cease after 1914. We simply do not have exhibition catalogues from Godward's dealer to inform us as to the titles of pictures by Godward. We now only learn about things 'after the fact' and often years later. We surmise that he continued with Cremetti but we have no way of knowing. The dealer ceases to published exhibition catalogues, which with copyright letters, was our main source for knowledge on Godward's art. In 1915 Godward painted Bonne Bouche of a young maid in pink dress sharing her cherries with a pet turtle. This is the second known picture by the artist with a turtle. The painting was prefaced by a quick pencil study sketch in 1914. Undoubtedly there would have been painted an intervening oil study on panel as was Godward's usual modus operandi.
His 1916 creation, By the Blue Ionian Sea was one of a pair with Rich Gifts Wax Poor when Lover's Prove Unkind (1916). Only labels on the back say that it was owned by Mullen Ltd of Harrogate and was exhibited at St. Paul Gallery and School of Art. Perhaps Godward had some personal connection with the gallery and art school?214 The model's vividly red dress with complementary green stola, demonstrates Godward's ability to "pop" a picture from across the room. Godward's circular oil The Time of Roses (1916) proves that occasionally the artist suffered from "the fear of the void" in decorating every square inch of canvas. Here we see a buxom beauty with scissors in hand pruning a bouquet of roses. Though over crowded with paraphernalia and detail, the artist's deft handling of tonal and analogous colour harmonies, creates an effective image. Certainly the most significant Godward painting of 1917, known to us, was his bellissimo, "Under the Blossom that Hangs on the Bough". Inspired by a line from William Shakespeare"s The Tempest the work encapsulates the best of Godward"s work. It is simply and formally designed. The stunningly alive purple irises, and red flowering almond tree, connected diagonally by the brilliant yellow dress of the model creates a glorious effect. Her purple stola mediates between the disparate colours most effectively. The marble staircase counterbalances an organic diagonal creating a living abstraction. Suddenly in 1918, Godward, began to produce a number of transparent watercolours. This year alone he painted nine of the fourteen known acquarelles. Interestingly only two are known to have been painted/drawn the next year and none the rest of his short life. It must have been a passing fancy for the artist, whose love remained easel painting in oil. His A Choice Blossom demonstrates that he brought the same amount of consummate pictorial authority to these as to his oils. This watercolour was slightly simplified in comparison to a much larger oil version of the same title and year. Certainly this and other watercolours give claim to his potential in this medium. These acquarelles are reminiscent of the work of W. Anstey Dollond, Henry Ryland and especially George Lawrence Bullied, the acknowledged master watercolourists of the English Classical school. What might have triggered Godward"s production of such works on paper is not known. It is possible that Godward had returned England for a visit just after the War. Possibly he visited Bullied in the city of Bath while on the trip and became interested in watercolours. | |
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