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| J.W. Godward: the Eclipse of Classicism, by Vern Grosvenor Swanson, Phd |
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Only five works from 1919 are known to exist. Godward's canvas entitled, Cestilia (1919) was painted with a bandanna on the head and a shawl over the shoulders of the model. This was a recent innovation, unknown in his previous work, though common to the work of Wontner. A theorized 1919 trip to London might have influenced Godward by Wontner's manner of dressing his models. Godward's 1919 oil rendering of A Cool Retreat is unknown through reproduction but might be a revisitation of his highly successful 1910 version. Godward seems to have done versions of his oil, as represented in his A Trial of Skill (1919, canvas, 38-1/2" x 18-1/2") which also has a 1917 version. This year Godward produced two rare small watercolours, The Rose (circular 7-1/4"), and A Song without Words (11-1/8" x 8-7/8"). The latter painting is known through an oil version in 1918.
To make matters worse for the artist, the greening of the roster of artists leasing studios in the Villa Strohl-Fern continued unabated. The Classical-Modern figure, still-life and landscapist painter, Francesco Trombadori (1886-1961) arrived in 1919. First given by the Commissaro studio no. 12, then no. 24, which had been the studio of the painter Umberto Moggioli (1886-1919), who had died of the "Spanish" fever at the end of 1919.216 Of all the modernists at the Villa, only Trombadori would have liked Godward's work.217 The Villa's studio's grew to about one hundred in number. By 1919 they were in various states of dilapidation, matching Alfred Strohl-Fern's advanced old age and financial condition. He was now seventy years old and not really concerned about maintenance and upkeep. The studios were as much huts and sheds as ateliers by this time. In September of 1919, Antonio Baldini visited the villa and jotted these notes: After Alfred Strohl-Fern died in 1926 he donated the property to the French government on the condition that it be well maintained and that his published writings, library and his art be protected. Instead of maintaining the Villa, its condition and eccentric style, led through bad management to its continued dilapidation. Today the French Lyceum "Chateaubriand," has managed to tear-down most of the studios, but one can still imagine how it looked the last years of Godward's residence. Unfortunately, Strohl-Fern's archive and most of his archive, paintings, sculptures, art collection (including two watercolours by Cezanne, and certainly work by Godward) and furniture have been scattered. In 1940 everything was sold to junk dealers by the French administrator of the Villa against the conditions of the donation.219 One can only imagine the rich source of information on J. W. Godward the archive would have yielded.
Yet the marriage took place on the 17th of April 1920. Family history has J. W. Godward returning from Italy for the wedding, perhaps accounting for the low output of pictures for that year.222 Gertrude later told her son that after the honeymoon they moved into John William's Fulham Road home. They arrived on Cup Final Day, at the exact moment of the matches at Stamford Bridge Sports Grounds [Chelsea Football Club]. They had to have a police escort to get them through the crowd and to make sure they weren't attempting to "sneak into the stadium!"223 Godward's health problems begin to mount during 1920. The size of his yearly oeuvre was restricted by his health and this year saw the creation of only five known paintings. It is probable that a larger number of picture were painted but only five are accounted for. His best pictures of the year were A Red Red Rose and A Souvenir. The first opus depicts a brilliant alizarin crimson tunic on a buxom Roman lady who deftly holds a single rose. Typical in his later pictures, the colour becomes more deeply saturated than in his earlier and blonder paintings. The background is an abstract of marbleized graining without reference to any architectural content. A greater visual luxuriance and psychological tension to proliferate. A Souvenir is one of Godward's most modern and abstract paintings. Accessory detail is held to a minimum while the spatial construction has greater impact. It was sold, certainly through Messrs. Eugene Cremetti to the Maharajah of Jamshadid, Nawanager, for his work seldom sold by the 1920's to English clients. All the paintings of 1920 were fairly large in size, by far the smallest was his 24 x 20 inch, Woman of Athens, which depicts another crimson tuniced women at a marbled frieze wall. Increasing health difficulties continued to plague the artist, who only produced two known works in 1921. His return to London also restricted his painting time, to two fairly modest pieces. A small tondo canvas entitled, Crispinella depicts a bust length portrait of a young black haired Roman maiden. The next picture, Megilla was one of the finest of the artist's half length profiles. We do not know if they were painted in Italy or England, but they certainly could not encompass the artist's entire oeuvre for the year. The sculptor Arturo Martini had come to Rome in 1921, looking for a studio.224 The artists of the advanced school of art, Valori Plastici battaient son plein225, were impressed with his work and invited him to stay in Rome. Together they expended much effort striving to find him a studio. But to no avail. But when Godward abandoned his studio in May or June of 1921, returning to London, it was immediately seized upon by Martini and his friends, Villa resident Francesco Trombadori, the kindly Roberto Melli and the famous Giorgio de Chirico. It was certainly Trombadori who alerted Martini of the vacant artist's studio of No.2 Villa Strohl-Fern.226 "Unity makes Force," was their motto as they commandeered Godward's studio. The vacant premises were occupied by these squatting artists, whose artwork Godward would have abhorred. "The enterprize ended in front of a judge, with the artists accused of violation of a private domicile [trespassing]."227 The usual method was to petition a commission before one takes over the studio, but they trespassed first then petitioned second. Martini was eventually ejected from the property after a fist-fight with the landlord. | |
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Translated to the vernacular this might mean that aesthetic pressures might have forced him out of the Villa Strohl-Fern or that medical treatment was better in England than in Italy, etc. Godward was not trapped in Italy longer than he wished, either by the Great War or the 'charm' of Rome. Milo-Turner notes that when he returned from Italy he "came back in illness."229 Failing health, melancholia and family matters brought him out of his Roman hermitage. Godward finally returns to London in May or June of 1921. Typically a traveler from Italy would come to England by train to Callais, then by boat to Dover and by train again to Victoria station in London. Godward's return from Italy marked the last gloomy phase of his life. He probably had some little hope that his illness could be solved, depression alleviate and vigor restored. But it was not to be.
This accords well with the Coroner's Inquest saying, "Marietta Avico, an artist's model of Tottenham Street, Tottenham Court Road, said that she had known deceased about eighteen months."232 This would place the return no later than May or June 1921. A second "Last Will" dated the 20th of August 1921 notes the artist's address as No. 410 Fulham Road.233 The Registry of Electors note that William and Jessie Wontner lived at No. 410 Fulham Road from 1910 and continued there until 1921.234They had lived at this address for over eleven years. Now that Charles Arthur Godward and Gertrude Horton were married and moved into No. 410, accommodations for both families had to be made. Most likely the small C.A. Godward family moved into the modest garden studio apartment, from April of 1920 until the Spring of 1921. Then when J. W. Godward returned in May or June of 1921 he reclaimed the garden studio. The Wontners then moved from the big house to West Kensington.235 In musical-chairs fashion, Charles Arthur and his pregnant wife Gertrude moved into the main house. The artist, upon seeing that he had no need of large accommodations, settled into the studio at the bottom of the garden, about forty feet away. This was an ideal arrangement for the ailing artist to have a trusted family member nearby. Ivy Godward noted that John William wasn't very interested in the family but now closeness seemed appropriate.236Nevertheless, he seemed to have gotten-off on the wrong foot with Gertrude. She still smarted from the realization that he had disapproved of her marriage to Charles Arthur. Gertrude really did not like him or his art, especially his paintings of semi-clad woman in diaphanous dresses.237 However John William had allowed her, for Charles Arthur's sake, her pregnancy and his own health needs, to stay in his home.238 Gertrude gave birth at home, to a healthy son, Peter John, on December 10th, 1921. Charles Arthur and Gertrude lived at 410 from April 1920 until 1923. The last year they were making plans for a house called "Barton" on Bouverie Road in Chipstead, Surrey.239 When Alfred's son, Cuthbert Godward married the tall and beautiful, Ivy Barr, in November 23, 1921, they stayed in the home for a little over a year.240They moved to No. 412 because that address was free at the time.241 It made the less likely to be visited by John William who liked his quite retreat. Contrary to his feelings toward Gertrude, the artist took a liking to Ivy. Little is known of Godward's last year's. Certainly his return to London could not have been as rewarding as he might have hoped. The city was much more hostile to his art than Rome had been. Sir Edward J. Poynter, President of the Royal Academy and leading exponent of the Classical school had died in 1919, leaving the non-Olympians to struggle on against mounting aesthetic opposition. Their natural constituencies were being browbeat against them. He was quite unproductive compared to his earlier years. Instead of about fifteen to twenty pictures per year, the artist was only able to manage about five paintings the last years of his life. While the quality level maintained itself, he had long ceased to be a prolific contributor to the art scene. One of the major reasons for his return to England was his declining health.242 It most certainly contributed to the diminution of his artistic output. The belligerence of the intellectual modernism of the Bloomsbury Group only exacerbated his health problems, both physical and mental. The artist suffered a combination of maladies which combined to undermine his will and energy. Being a recluse he took care of himself. This was done at the most Spartanic level. A glaring weakness was his narrow diet. Ivy Godward mentioned that he didn't eat properly. At the beginning of each week the artist would cook himself a pot of beef stew. He would then eat from the warmed up pot for the entire week.243 The food and nourishment to sustain him was simply not there over the course of his life and he fell ill to a peptic ulcer [dyspepsia]. Interestingly, Alma-Tadema a decade earlier, had died of this disease.244 | |
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