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Melissa - John William Godward - Oil Painting Wall Decor is part of our hand painted oil painting collection from the John William Godward Paintings selection. Each canvas is worked by a trained artist, then inspected before dispatch — a practical route to owning classic wall decor at a fraction of gallery pricing.
1898
Oil on canvas
Melissa is a remarkably beautiful painting that takes its title from a nymph of antiquity who taught the use of honey to Man and from whom the honey-bees took their name in Greek. The Greek Melissa was a daughter of the Cretan King Melissos and sister of Amaltheia. She and her sister nursed the infant Zeus and fed him with honey rather than milk. The Greek philosopher Porphyry stated that Melissa was a Priestess of Demeter and able to relieve the suffering of women during childbirth. The only allusion to Melissa's connection with bees or honey in Godward's painting is perhaps the girl's golden veil. She is seen in profile and rather than Godward's usual background of marble or ocean, here he created an ivy-clad wall suggesting that she is walking in a lush garden. The costume is similar to the robes worn by the maiden in Atalanta (one sold 13 November 2012, lot 13 and another sold Christie's, New York, 23 April 2012, lot 40) and Clymene of 1891 (Sotheby's, Belgravia, 15 June 1988, lot 213).
Melissa appears to depict the dark-haired model who posed for many of Godward's best work of the late 1890s, including Campaspe of 1896 (sold in these rooms, 14 December 2006, lot 127), The Pergola of 1898 (Manchester City Art Gallery), Idleness (sold in these rooms, 12 July 2007, lot 25) and Midday of 1900 (Manchester City Art Gallery). She had a beautiful rosy complexion and a mass of glossy black hair that fell in soft curls over her forehead. She had a Mediterranean appearance which suited Godward's paintings of Greek and Roman maidens in togas.
Godward painted these bust-length profile portraits of women throughout his career. His earliest known portrait was a watercolour profile of his grandmother Mary Perkinton Godward made circa 1880. This portrait was probably based on a silhouette and is rather formal and tentative but around 1882 Godward made a portrait of his sister Mary Frederica which is similar to his later profile studies of women. His series of idealised profile head studies began with Japonica c.1887 (sold Sotheby's, New York, 29 May 1980, lot 36) and throughout the 1880s and 1890s he painted many pictures of this type.
These half-length portraits of women, painted in a format known as 'Keepsake', were fashionable at the end of the nineteenth century and were painted by virtually every figurative painter. So popular were they that the Graphic magazine published several series of depictions of women in this format in the late 1880s. Although Melissa was not painted for this purpose, it reflects the vogue at this time for these types of picture.
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 living room.
Expect subtle, hand-made variation rather than factory uniformity. Each fine art canvas is painted with oils, allowed to cure properly, and inspected before it is approved for shipment.
Wondering where fine art oil painting looks best? Try a living room mantel, a dining room sideboard, or a hallway gallery wall. The fine art subject reads clearly from a distance and rewards close viewing up near.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 24 in | $87.98 |
| 24 X 36 in | $134.48 |
| 30 X 40 in | $185.98 |
| 36 X 48 in | $238.48 |
| 48 X 72 in | $481.48 |
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.
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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.
