John William Waterhouse & Dante Gabriel Rossetti

John William Waterhouse (April 6, 1849 -- February 10, 1917) was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter most famous for his paintings of female characters from mythology and literature. He belonged to the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

He was born in Rome to the painters William and Isabela Waterhouse, but when he was five the family moved to South Kensington, near the newly founded Victoria and Albert Museum. He studied painting under his father before entering the Royal Academy schools in 1870. His early works were of classical themes in the spirit of Alma-Tadema and Frederic Leighton, and were exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of British Artists and the Dudley Gallery.

In 1874, at the age of twenty-five, Waterhouse submitted the classical allegory Sleep and His Half-Brother Death to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. The painting was very well received and he exhibited at the RA almost every year afterwards until his death in 1917. In 1883 he married Esther Kenworthy, the daughter of an art schoolmaster from Ealing who had exhibited her own flower-paintings at the Royal Academy and elsewhere. They had two children, but both died in childhood.

In 1895 Waterhouse was elected to the status of full Academician. He taught at the St. John's Wood Art School, joined the St John's Wood Arts Club, and served on the Royal Academy Council.

One of Waterhouse's most famous paintings is The Lady of Shalott, a study of Elaine of Astolat, who dies of grief when Lancelot will not love her. He actually painted three different versions of this character, in 1888, 1896, and 1916.

Another of Waterhouse's favorite subjects was Ophelia; the most famous of his paintings of Ophelia depicts her just before her death, putting flowers in her hair as she sits on a tree branch leaning over a lake. Like The Lady of Shalott and other Waterhouse paintings, it deals with a woman dying in or near water. He also may have been inspired by paintings of Ophelia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Millais. He submitted his Ophelia painting of 1888 in order to receive his diploma from the Royal Academy. (He had originally wanted to submit a painting titled "A Mermaid", but it was not completed in time.) After this, the painting was lost until the 20th century, and is now displayed in the collection of Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Waterhouse would paint Ophelia again in 1894 and 1909 or 1910, and planned another painting in the series, called "Ophelia in the Churchyard."

Waterhouse could not finish the series of Ophelia paintings because he was gravely ill with cancer by 1915. He died two years later, and his grave can be found at Kensal Green Cemetery in London.

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
John William WaterhouseJohn William Waterhouse (The Art and Life of JW Waterhouse);
"J.W. Waterhouse: The Modern Pre-Raphaelite": information about the upcoming exhibition 2008-2010
Waterhouse at Tate Britain
Echo and Narcissus (1903)
John William Waterhouse at artrenewal.org
Ten Dreams Galleries
John William Waterhouse in the "History of Art"
Scent and femininity in John William Waterhouse's "The Soul of the Rose"

[edit] References
Benezit, E. (2006). Waterhouse, John William. In Dictionary of Artists (Vol 14, pp 668-669). Paris:Grund.
Trippi, P. (2002). J.W.Waterhouse. New York, NY: Phaidon Press Limited.

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[clamdip2]

Waterhouse? Who would think this marvelous Victorian painter could be found on YouTube? I certainly doubted it. Yet, here he is, and in such pleasing fashion. (Although I do wish the resolution was better.) I shall treasure this.

[LilysApple]

Yea, High res pictures of his art are hard to come by. But I'm still pleased with the video.

[arodrede]

Whaterhouse...One of my favorite painter...

I think the painting at 0:54 is "La Ghirlandata", from Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Anyway, thank you for this vid

[LilysApple]

I you vary well may be correct

[Fuliginosus]

I think the painting at 0:54 is by Rossetti, not Waterhouse. Tell me if I'm wrong.

[LilysApple]

You very well may be correct it may haver snuck it's way in. lol

[gilcarosio]

Beautiful video!

I love the paintings of Waterhouse, is fantastic!

[WandTosz]

Nie wiem co tu piszecie, ale bardzo fajne filmiki. Super nastrój podoba mi się.

[traylorvh]

This is so beautifully done. Thank you for sharing.

[theultimateotaku]

I absolutely love Waterhouse. I also love the music in this video. What is it?

[christykroeg]

note the power of women in his work.

[adri1430]

Definitely one of my favorites...I love this painter!

Thanks LilyApple and congratulations! 

[vickiehill1]

Waterhouse is one of my most favorite artists. His paintings are just incredible. They invoke such peace with their tranquil beauty. I don't think there is one of his paintings that I do not like. My daughter surprized me with a huge pastel that she did of "My Sweet Rose", for my birthday. It hangs so beautifully on my wall that people often ask me if it's the original. I wish!!

[RENATA304]

Maravilhoso. O primeiro vídeo que adotei aqui no youtube. Foi o meu começo.

Parabéns

[RENATA304]

Já apaixonada por Waterhouse, vim aqui e encontrei este maravilhoso vídeo. O meu começo no youtube.

Parabéns!

Renata Cordeiro

[HeathenLoveGod]

You are correct, Fuliginosus :-)

[BuckshotLaFunke]

I saw the exhibition in the Groningen Museum, Netherlands. Tremendous, especially Cleopatra with her penetrating and brooding look.