The History of Art And The Curious Lives of Famous Painters
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George Frederick Watts 1817-1904
Stylistically influenced by the following painters and sculptors -William Behnes, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, (Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Frederick Leighton, Raphael, William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais Cause of Death - old age Biography George Frederick Watts was born in London in 1817. He was frequently ill during childhood and spent a great deal of time in bed drawing stories for himself. His first major success as painter took place in the spring of 1843. Watts entered the competition for the decoration of the Houses of Parliament and won the prize of £300 for his drawing of "Caractacus led Captive through the Streets of Rome." He brilliant depiction of historical personalities impressed the judges and set the stage for a lucrative art career. His fellow competitors included historical painter Benjamin Haydon. Haydon whom was beset by financial difficulties became so upset over the younger artists win that he took his own life. Watts used his winnings to travel to Italy where he stayed with expat aristocracy, Lord and Lady Holland. According to Art historian, William Loftus Hare "Italy, and particularly Florence, was perpetual fascination and inspiration to Watts. There he imbibed the influences of Orcagna and Titian—influences, indeed, which were clearly represented in the next monumental painting which he attempted. It came about that Lord Holland persuaded his guest to enter a fresh competition for the decoration of the Parliament Houses, and Watts carried off the prize with his "Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the landing of the Danes." The colour and movement of the great Italian masters, conspicuously absent from the "Caractacus" cartoon, were to be seen in this new effort, where, as has been said, the English king stands like a Raphaelesque archangel in the midst of the design."
In 1864 the paunchy
middle-aged Watts was
smitten by a beautiful young
actress young enough to be
his daughter. The artist courted
Miss Ellen Terry with old
fashioned gallantry and road
to her home on a white horse
begging her to marry him.
The older painter and
teenage actress were wed and
moved into Little Holland
House. As soon as the
nuptials were over the
artist quickly became
irritated by his 16 year old
brides constant shopping
trips and extravagant
spending on entertainment.
The marriage brief and
turbulent exasperating Watts
tendency towards depression.
According to William Loftus
Hare, "To his intimate
friends Watts, who was so
introspective, often
complained of "the duality
of my nature." In the midst
of affairs, financial or
worldly, on questions of
criticism, personal conduct
and the like, the great
artist was variable and
uncertain. Though humble and
self-deprecatory to an
extreme degree, he made
mistakes from which he could
escape only with great
difficulty; and he suffered
much from depression and
melancholy."
Require more facts and information about George Frederick Watts? Poke around every nook and cranny of the known universe for information this subject. Search Here © HistoryofPainters.com If you like this page and wish to share it, you are welcome to link to it, with our thanks. If you feel you have worthwhile information you would like to contribute we would love to hear from you. We collect essential biographical information and artist quotes from folks all over the globe and appreciate your participation. When submitting please, if possible, site the source and provide English translation. Email to millardmulch@gmail.com copyright 2011 - historyofpainters.com References Watts (1817-1904), by William Loftus Hare |
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