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Looking for fine art oil painting with real brushwork? On the Balcony is reproduced by hand in oils on artist-grade canvas after John William Godward. The result is a piece of refined oil painting wall decor that anchors a hallway and rewards a closer look.
1911
Oil on canvas
81 x 41 cm (32 x 16 in.)
Standing elegant and graceful, a beautiful young Roman maiden looks out to sea for the return of her lover. Like Will he ne'er come back again? executed the same year, On the Balcony sensitively evokes an episode of the heart.
Godward draped the girl in luscious robes and set her against a marble balcony – favourite devices employed by Godward which demonstrate his superb and sensual rendering of different textures. Perhaps no more is this evident that in the cloth which falls lightly over her right foot, its diaphanous nature expertly realised. He also shades the girl's face with the fan she holds, which serves to soften the painting and is a technique employed in another exceptional oil from 1910, Noonday Rest.
The balance of colour in On the Balcony – the cool marble and the shimmering clothes in the bright sun – is characteristic of Godward's finest works. In discussing the present picture, Vern Swanson observes: 'The efflorescence of the orange dress is delicately contrasted against the steel purple of the stola, again announcing Godward's willing to push colour harmonies to the brink' (Vern Swanson, op. cit., p.92).
Gossamer Greek robes, archaic jewellery and a background of marble and a Mediterranean setting are elements that feature regularly in Godward's paintings and as in the present work, they compound the exotic sensuality and suggest links to those famous courtesans of the ancient world: Helen of Troy, Phyrne and Campaspe. On the Balcony is a serene evocation of this classical world, and in the beauty of the maiden, the sensitive rendering of textures and harmonious colouring, it exemplifies those qualities that make Godward's pictures so compelling and of enduring appeal.
Collectors often choose this fine art image when searching for fine art oil painting that feels substantial rather than decorative or disposable.
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.
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.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 40 in | $148.48 |
| 24 X 48 in | $204.48 |
| 30 X 60 in | $307.48 |
| 36 X 72 in | $387.48 |
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.
