Lot 46
  • 46

John William Godward, R.B.A.

Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • John William Godward, R.B.A.
  • A Priestess of Bacchus
  • signed and dated u.r.: J.W.Godward. 1890.
  • oil on canvas
  • 29 by 45cm., 11½ by 17¾in.

Provenance

Thomas McLean, London (Godward's agent), 1890, for £25;
George James, London, by whom sold Christie's, London, 10 April 1897, lot 105 as Bacchante Resting for £97.14s to Arthur Tooth & Sons, London;
Sotheby's, Belgravia, 22 February 1972, lot 163 as On the Terrace, to Edward Crawshaw, London, by whom sold to Peter Child, London, in the same year, by whom sold Sotheby's, Belgravia, 23 June 1981, lot 38, where purchased by the present owner

Literature

Vern Swanson, John William Godward - The Eclipse of Classicism, 1997, p.178, cat.no.1890.11, illustrated p.40, colour plate 10

Condition

The canvas has been lined. There are some discoloured retouchings in the sky and sea and a fine craquelure pattern. Faint surface dirt. Ultraviolet light reveals flecked retouchings to the figure and sweeping retouchings to the sky. A line of vertical retouching in the sea and a horizontal line of retouching on the right side of the bench. A few other small areas of retouching. Contained in a gilt reeded frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Brilliant sunlight bathes the terrace of a high vantage above a calm and azure-blue ocean, where a young girl is seated on a marble exedra, wreathed with ivy and dressed in a golden toga tied at the waist with a wine-coloured ribbon. In her hand she holds a thrysus - a wand made from the branch of a giant fennel surmounted by a pinecone, the symbol of the Bacchantes, followers of the Roman God of Wine. She is exhausted by the dancing that accompanied the festivities of the Bacchanalia and perhaps also intoxicated by the wine. For a moment she rests in the sunshine and smiles beguilingly at the spectator as though greeting a lover. Roses and white doves - the symbols of Venus - add to the romance of the scene in which lovers are walking arm in arm down the steep flight of marble stairs.