Sunday, November 22, 2009

John Waterhouse / Conspicuous Glamour

Women, women, women. Did John Waterhouse paint anything besides them?

I recently caught the Waterhouse exhibit at Musée de Beaux Arts in Montréal. From one fantastical oil painting to the next, I saw Waterhouse’s idealized woman, the same woman; beautiful, forlorn, and melancholy, suspended solitude in every single frame.


Among the brilliant jewel-like colors, a certain conspicuous glamor arises – the centrality of the subject and the light cast upon their porcelain faces parallels pages of fashion editorials in some of today’s more ‘classic’ mode magazines such as Vogue. (Below: Photography by Tim Walker in Italian Vogue and Jacques Dequeker in Vogue Brazil). 


7 comments:

ALEX NOBLE said...

Water House is my favorite, one of my first art books was his work.

Glenida said...

I like the way theses colors sit next to one another.

María said...

I love Waterhouse and the preraphaelits in general. One of my favourite artistic movements.

Frida said...

Waterhouse's paintings are so inspiring. One of the best ever.

Gary Bowen said...

the colour palettes are lovely............. Gary Bowen

laura said...

Wow! water house's painting is the one of my favorite artistic movements. i really like your photography, very stunning! i love it!

Thank you for sharing this blog.

Ashley Bilodeau said...

My personal fav was the Cleopatra painting!
OUT OF THIS WORLD!