Free shipping on orders over $60$5 flat rate under $604 items: 10% off · 8 items: 20% off
You save $89.97
Free shipping over $60 · 30-day returns · Dispatched in 1–2 business days
Upgrade your walls with Contemplation 1903 - John William Godward - Fine Art Oil Painting Wall Decor. Every fine art reproduction is painted entirely by hand, so the surface carries the depth and variation of an original oil painting rather than the flatness of a digital canvas print.
1903
Oil on canvas
Though greatly influenced by his mentor, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, John William Godward distinguishes himself through his striking images of a single female model. In his study of Victorian painters of classical subjects, Christopher Wood described Godward's career: "the best, and most serious of Alma-Tadema's followers was John William Godward.... All his life he devoted himself only to classical subjects, invariably involving girls in classical robes on marble terraces, but painted with a degree of technical mastery that almost rivals that of Alma-Tadema. Godward was also an admirer of Lord Leighton, and his figures do sometimes achieve a monumentality lacking in the work of most of Alma-Tadema's followers" (Christopher Wood, Olympian Dreamers, Victorian Classical Painters 1860 - 1914, London, 1983, p. 247).
Interestingly, a sense of monumentality is achieved in this intimate portrait. The subject is viewed almost imperceptably from below, which emphasizes her goddess-like status. Her head is framed by an impressive marble wall and gilt pilaster, which provide a showcase for Godward's unrivalled mastery of painting textures and, in particular, these contrasting slabs of marble. The composition also displays many of the hallmarks of the wider aesthetic movement prevelant at the end of the century, which promoted the importance of formal and sensual qualities over visual narrative. The sitter was Godward's favorite model, an Italian woman who some scholars suggest may have been his mistress, and his affection for her is immediately evident in his intensely careful treatment. Vern G. Swanson remarks that Contemplation was "perhaps the best 'head' by Godward during the first years of the century" (Swanson, 1988, p. 71).
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 dining room.
From primer to varnish, the work is done manually on artist-grade canvas. The absence of digital printing is deliberate: it keeps the fine art brushwork visible and gives the vintage oil painting wall decor a museum-like finish.
As dining room wall art, this canvas brings color and texture without visual noise. It scales well from a small study to a large dining room feature wall, and it is a reliable choice when shopping for fine art oil painting as a gift.
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.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 20 in | $89.98 |
| 24 X 24 in | $100.98 |
| 30 X 30 in | $150.98 |
| 36 X 36 in | $219.98 |
| 40 X 40 in | $260.48 |
| 48 X 48 in | $356.48 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
Free on orders over $60; a flat $5 below that. Dispatched in 1–2 business days; 30 days to send it back. Full policy.
Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
