Phyleis by John William Godward

A melancholy harmony and an acute sense of linear perspective define this study from behind of great formal purity. In the creation entitled “Phyleis”, the renowned portraitist John William Godward chooses to frame his subject observing a distant coastal landscape from a paved terrace. The work establishes itself as a major plastic research into saturated color, combining the softness of a youthful profile with the rigid geometry of a marble balustrade decorated with a complex mosaic frieze.

A young woman with tied dark hair is depicted from behind in the foreground, delicately tilting her head to the left in partial profile. She is dressed in a pleated coral-red stola enhanced by black leather straps that crisscross on her back, and a large dark plum drapery enveloping her hips with elegance. With her lowered right hand, she holds vertically a large fan made of peacock feathers with shimmering eyespots. She leans against a high white marble parapet decorated with a mosaic frieze depicting geometric waves. The background opens onto a landscape of dark cypresses and gentle hills bordering a blue sea.

The craftsman’s genius shines through in the meticulous reproduction of the background mosaic tesserae and the reflections of the fan. His flawless oil technique offers a perfect flatness to the mineral blocks and a remarkable clarity to the silky draperies with striking realism. This meticulous work confirms the splendor of his technical expertise.