JOHN WILLIAM WATERHOUSE, R.A., R.I. 1849-1917

London, Jeremy Maas & Co Ltd.

The Studio Magazine, 1909, repr. facing p. 218

This particularly expressive drawing by Waterhouse appears to relate to a little-known version of 'Gather Ye Rose Buds While Ye May' a picture very different from the two paintings of that title painted in 1908 (Christie's, 11 June 2003, lot 6) and 1909 (Christie's, 27 November 2002, lot 12) but painted around the same time. In this version (private collection) a young maiden stands three-quarters turned to the left holding a bowl of roses with a beautifully painted walled garden behind.

The first record of the existence of this drawing is its reproduction in that seminal journal of European art of the early twentieth century, The Studio. The drawing was illustrated to accompany an article devoted to Waterhouse's drawing method and approach to figure drawing and demonstrated the striking simplicity of his drawings in comparison to the more elaborate oil paintings. Waterhouse's drawings have a more immediate power of expression, capturing that fleeting beauty of youth and innocence without the distraction of the trappings of mythology or romance.