Atalanta by John William Godward

Atalanta - John William Godward - Hand Painted Oil Painting

Product Overview

Atalanta - John William Godward - Hand Painted Oil Painting suits both traditional and modern interiors. As a fine art oil painting, it works as a standalone focal point or as part of a gallery wall gallery wall, and unlike a print it is genuinely hand painted in oils.

The Story Behind the Painting

1908
Oil on canvas
Private Collection.

Abandoned shortly after her birth on Mount Parthenion by her father Schoenus who had wanted a son, the Arcadian maiden Atalanta was left for dead, alone and unprotected on the side of the mountain. When approached by a ravenous she-bear, the fearless infant spread her arms in welcome and was thus adopted by the beast who suckled and reared her as one of her own cubs. Atalanta grew into a formidable huntress and one of the most beautiful women in Arcadia. She had sworn an allegiance to the Virgin Huntress Diana and though continually pestered by suitors, refused to marry. Tired by the continual entreaties for her hand, she set a challenge; that whoever could beat her in a race would become her husband. Confident in the speed of her lissom limbs, she weighed herself down by carrying a bow and quivers and gave the crowd of men who arrived for the race a head start. Any unfortunate opponent overtaken by Atalanta fell in the dust pierced by an arrow from the maiden's bow as one by one she defeated her suitors. At last, only one runner was left to be conquered but as Atalanta approached young Hippomenes he dropped the Golden Apples of the Hesperides given to him by Venus, who contrived to see Atalanta wed. Transfixed by their glittering beauty, Atalanta stopped to gather the apples and Hippomenes was able to race towards the finishing line and claim his bride. Thus Atalanta was wed to Hippomenes and lived in passionate wedded bliss until they defiled a scared temple with their incessant love-making and an enraged Zeus turned both husband and wife into lions to halt their depravity (It was thought by the Ancients that lions did not mate with their own kind, but favoured panthers).

Godward was clearly drawn to the figure of Atalanta and painted another, very different head of the huntress in 1899 (see: Vern G. Swanson, John William Godward; The Eclipse of Classicism, Woodbridge, Suffolk, p. 198). By comparison, this previously undocumented Atalanta of 1908 is a more successful composition and painted from a striking new model, Miss Goldsmith. Although Godward was clearly greatly inspired by the statuesque sibyls painted by Frederic, Lord Leighton in the 1890s, there are few instances in which the correlation can be seen so clearly than with Godward's Atalanta and Leighton's painting of the same title painted in 1893. Both artists painted the head and shoulders of striking female models in profile with bare shoulders and hair wept away from the neck. The detail of the golden band around Atalanta's arm is also present in both painters' pictures and the backgrounds are of palace walls. The moment depicted in both Leighton and Godward's paintings is as Atalanta prepares for the race, her hair bound up and her robes fastened loosely for running. In stark comparison is Sir Edward Poynter's Atalanta's Race (thought to have been destroyed in World War II) which was part of the decorative scheme painted for Lord Wharncliffe in which the finale of the race is played out with epic drama and movement.

Our artists reproduce this fine art composition in oil on canvas by hand, preserving the tonal range that makes fine art oil painting so sought after for a gallery wall.

100% Hand Painted on Canvas

Materials matter for refined wall decor. That is why this piece is built on artist-grade canvas with lightfast oil colors, applied by hand rather than output from a printer, and sealed for long-term display.

Specifications & What You Receive

• Genuine hand painted oil painting on premium artist canvas; no printing or digital imaging is used.
• Supplied with a 2-inch blank border on all four sides for flexible gallery wall display options.
• No middlemen — we ship directly to you worldwide.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Custom sizes available: order this painting in your preferred dimensions.
• Multiple low-cost carriers available, including DHL, UPS, FedEx and USPS.
• No-cost gallery stretching on wood bars, plus optional made-to-order framing.
• A digital photo of your finished painting is emailed for approval before shipment.

Styling & Placement

Style it over a fireplace, behind a reading chair, or along a staircase. Wherever it goes, this refined oil painting wall decor adds the layered color that only a hand painted canvas provides.

Delivery, Sizes & Guarantee

Browse our John William Godward Paintings selection for related fine art canvases, or commission this fine art image in a custom size. Every order is a hand painted oil painting, never a printed poster.