Dolce Far Niente

December 27, 2023 8:15 AM

John William Godward (1861-1922) was late Neoclassical painter who frequently painted scenes of Greco-Roman antiquity. His research was meticulous, though he is not as well regarded today as his instructor, Alma-Tadema. Neoclassicism wasn't the star of the 20th century, but Godward is still selling [NSFW]. You've probably seen his Dolce Far Niente.
posted by cupcakeninja (9 comments total)

This post brought to you by the end-of-year haze of chocolate, cheese, naps, and leftovers that sum up to "la dolce far niente."
posted by cupcakeninja at 8:17 AM on December 27, 2023 [6 favorites]

Was he his generation's Norman Rockwell? There's something so treacly about his paintings. Maybe it's just because I haven't taken them seriously enough in a museum setting. I like Maxfield Parrish, Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt well enough. What's different about Godward that they come off so cliché to me? Maybe it's the strict Neo-Classicism.
posted by Nelson at 8:56 AM on December 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

He followed standard practices of realist painters throughout history, from (I assume) use of models to maquettes, painting things that interested him and which he thought would sell--so, not unlikely Rockwell in that sense, though nothing like the level of contemporary ubiquity via magazine covers. IMHO, Godward's work has often suffered because it depicts female private life, if with an idealizing male gaze, and it's often used to market things that are intended to be quiet, sweet, or reflective.

So much of Parrish is overt fantasy, his work was a punchline for decades, and I think it says something (good) that we can view it now and not immediately dismiss it as trash. Mucha has that wonderful ethereal quality, but so much of his work was advertising from the start that it (I say this loving Mucha, have seen a couple exhibitions, etc.) doesn't fall into the trap of "serious work attempting to convey a sentiment, but which reads as 'sentimental' to us." Klimt did too much that was too new to qualify him for comparison here, I think.

So, in sum, I do think the Neo-Classicism is part of it, but I also think the subject matter. YMMV.
posted by cupcakeninja at 9:24 AM on December 27, 2023 [4 favorites]

The Academic painters (Alma-Tadema, Bouguereau, etc) were very skilled technical painters and in their own right quite good, but they will always suffer from comparison with the remarkable innovations of the Impressionists onwards.

I always found it an interesting tidbit that one of Alma-Tadema's biggest 20th century collectors was Candid Camera host Allen Funt.
posted by fortitude25 at 9:31 AM on December 27, 2023 [4 favorites]

Dolce Far Niente - liquid gold - American sauternes
posted by lalochezia at 10:13 AM on December 27, 2023

Godward has been one of my favorite artists since I saw Mischief and Repose at the Getty in probably 2001 or so. I have a huge print of it on the wall of my home office. Thanks for this post!
posted by skycrashesdown at 10:15 AM on December 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

In art history we referred to this genre as Victorian Neoclassical Cheesecake...
posted by jim in austin at 2:16 PM on December 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

It's a tough break, but his career had the misfortune to overlap with that of John William Waterhouse, who was, well, John William Waterhouse. It's hard to compete.

(JWW had his own Dolce far Niente, too.)
posted by phooky at 8:00 PM on December 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

Left a blonde vacuum that that opportunistic hussy Barbie gladly filled.
posted by Chitownfats at 6:03 PM on December 30, 2023