Waterhouse exhibition at the Royal Academy
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranthYesterday, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ladymoonray and swisstone encouraged me to visit the J W Waterhouse exhibition at the Royal Academy. Too many people, as usual, but it was fantastic: seeing (and having the audio guide explain) the brushwork close up, spotting themes and imagery in a way that I just don't when I'm flicking through a book, laughing at the pigeons. (Really: Waterhouse seems to've had a thing about pigeons, though later in his career he transferred his affections to panthers: the panthers look glossy and well-fed -- and in one case, rather simian -- so one presumes they've feasted on any stray birds or bird-women left over from earlier paintings.)
Not entirely convinced I agree with some of the factoids presented (for one thing, I fear there's a more Freudian explanation of all those pearls explained as 'tears of drowned sailors') but I was impressed with the social context, discussion of technique and contemporary commentary presented in the audio guide. I would have liked more about the models and about Waterhouse's life as it intersected with his art -- I blame Desperate Romantics, at least in part -- but apparently little is known about the models and Waterhouse liked to keep his private life private.
Waterhouse is good at painting male figures in lifelike, vulnerable, human attitudes: but I prefer his women, who are often iconic but are strong and powerful and dangerous. Check out The Magic Circle: never mind the mish-mash of paraphernalia (Druidic sickle, Greek warriors, Egyptian landscape, seven ravens) she is doing real magic. Or any of the depictions of Circe. Or the predatory water-nymphs enticing Hylas. Or Penelope and the Suitors, in which it seems evident that -- far from being 'patient' and 'forbearing' -- she is about to turn round and tell them exactly where to go.
Also, just forladymoonray: .
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ladymoonray and swisstone encouraged me to visit the J W Waterhouse exhibition at the Royal Academy. Too many people, as usual, but it was fantastic: seeing (and having the audio guide explain) the brushwork close up, spotting themes and imagery in a way that I just don't when I'm flicking through a book, laughing at the pigeons. (Really: Waterhouse seems to've had a thing about pigeons, though later in his career he transferred his affections to panthers: the panthers look glossy and well-fed -- and in one case, rather simian -- so one presumes they've feasted on any stray birds or bird-women left over from earlier paintings.)Not entirely convinced I agree with some of the factoids presented (for one thing, I fear there's a more Freudian explanation of all those pearls explained as 'tears of drowned sailors') but I was impressed with the social context, discussion of technique and contemporary commentary presented in the audio guide. I would have liked more about the models and about Waterhouse's life as it intersected with his art -- I blame Desperate Romantics, at least in part -- but apparently little is known about the models and Waterhouse liked to keep his private life private.
Waterhouse is good at painting male figures in lifelike, vulnerable, human attitudes: but I prefer his women, who are often iconic but are strong and powerful and dangerous. Check out The Magic Circle: never mind the mish-mash of paraphernalia (Druidic sickle, Greek warriors, Egyptian landscape, seven ravens) she is doing real magic. Or any of the depictions of Circe. Or the predatory water-nymphs enticing Hylas. Or Penelope and the Suitors, in which it seems evident that -- far from being 'patient' and 'forbearing' -- she is about to turn round and tell them exactly where to go.
Also, just for
ladymoonray: .</>
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no subject
Date: Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 11:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 02:08 am (UTC)Oo, you lucky swine! I'm practically prepared to hop on a plane to come see this one . . .
Answering your questions
Date: Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 10:44 pm (UTC)In some versions Hylas is drowned. In others he lives with the nymphs in their underwater world.
Circe is sister of Aeëtes, Medea's father, and so *is* Medea's aunt.