Julia (1914)

John William Godward is the artist behind "Julia", dated 1914. Context for 1914: Dada and Surrealism followed the First World War, the Bauhaus school was founded in 1919, and Art Deco became the fashionable decorative style of the 1920s and 1930s. The first decades of the twentieth century were a period of rapid experiment, with Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, and the first abstract painting appearing within a few years of each other. The catalogue places it in Figurative. The format is portrait. Background on Figurative: Portraits, group scenes, studies of the nude, and pictures of daily life all belong to figurative art. Over the centuries, painters have used the figure to express social standing, narrative, and emotion.

On onlly.art "Julia" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

English, 1861–1922

If you like the visual language of John William Godward, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.