John William Godward, RBA

(British, 1861-1922)

Waiting for the Procession

Footnotes

Provence
Thomas McLean, London, sold 1890.
Percy Polak Ltd., London, sold August 1949.
Marshall Fields, Chicago, acquired October 1949 to January 1950.
Father Sauer, Chicago.
Lucille Katyll, Chicago, acquired from the above, 1960s.
Thence by descent to the present owner.
Private collection, USA.

Exhibited
London, Thomas McLean, Winter Exhibition, 1890-91, no. 43.

Literature
Thomas McLean (ec).
Godward inventory list 1890-91, Milo-Turner collection.
Illustrated London News, 15 Nov 1890, p. 467, illus.
Percy Polak, his files.
Vern Swanson, J.W.Godward 1861-1922: The eclipse of Classism, revised edition, Woodbridge, 2018, pp. 263-4, cat. no. 1890-19, illustrated p.43.

Described by Vern Swanson as 'one of the artist's seminal canvasses from his early period...a rare multifigured composition that seems to anticipate most of the artist's mature style, subjects and technique'¹, at the time the present painting was executed, Godward was painting at St. Leonard's Studio, St. Leonard's Terrace on Smith Street in Chelsea. While the Illustrated London News found the work 'too large a canvas for such a slight theme'², at £90 the painting was the largest and most expensive sold by the artist to date.

We are grateful to Vern Swanson for his assistance in cataloguing the present lot.

¹Vern Swanson, J.W.Godward 1861-1922: The eclipse of Classism, revised edition, Woodbridge, 2018, p. 264.
²Illustrated London News, 15 Nov 1890, p. 467.