John William Godward (1861–1922) was a neoclassical painter of the Victorian era. He established a reputation for his careful rendering of details and the ability to convey contrasting textures: flesh, marble, fur, and fabrics. From his London studio, Godward created romantic worlds that featured women bathed in soft light against Mediterranean dreamscapes. At first sight,…

“At first glance so convincingly real, so archaeologically exact, so beautiful and innocent, ‘Spring’ turns out on closer examination to be illusionary, historically confused, and mischievously immoral.” — Louise Lippincott, former Curator of Fine Arts at Carnegie Institute and author of “Lawrence Alma Tadema: Spring” Masterful works of art are often multilayered and complex. What…

Like a bulldozer, industrialization plowed into Victorian England in the 19th century. Along with its positive impacts, such as rising incomes for some, new consumer goods for those who could afford them, and automated services for the rich, there were drawbacks. The Industrial Revolution changed the way Victorian society lived and worked as people moved…