John William Godward

Do you own a work by John William Godward and would you like to know more about its value? Our Experts will carry out a free appraisal of your painting, to provide you with an estimate of the market price, then assist you to sell at the best price.

Status, appraisal and price by artist John William Godward

Price of a painting by the artist: 6,700 – 800,000 €.

Price of a drawing by the artist: 880 – 25 200 €.

Estimation of a print by the artist: 200 – 890 €.

If you would like to have a work by John-William Godward appraised, our experts will take care of everything.

John William Godward, an academic and discreet painter

John-William Godward was an English painter of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. He was born on 9 August 1861 in London, and died himself on 13 December 1922 in the same city. He was one of the painters who exhibited his paintings at the Royal Academy from 1887 to 1905.

Coming from a bourgeois London family, he has always sought to retain a certain anonymity, especially among art critics. This is why, after his death, his family decided to burn a large part of his documents and personal effects, making it difficult to reconstruct his biography.

John William Godward, the ultimate representative of the neo-classical school

John-William Godward follows in the neo-classical footsteps of the British painter and sculptor Frederic Leighton. This style of painting essentially transcribes the Greco-Roman genre and the art of ancient Rome. John William Godward trained mainly with Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, a British painter of Dutch origin.

It was in 1983 that the artist reached full mastery of his art. It is also from this year that he is considered a fully-fledged renowned artist.

John William Godward made several trips to Italy, notably to Rome and Pompeii, and decided to settle there in 1911. He admired the architecture and other vestiges of the Roman period, and was inspired by them for many of his paintings. He returned to England in 1921.

However, the neo-classical school was quickly forgotten at the end of the 19th century in favour of surrealism, following the example of the famous painter Pablo Ruiz Picasso. Gradually, the last neo-classical artists will be put aside at the beginning of the 20th century. John-William Godward will be one of the last representatives of this current.

John William Godward, an admirer of feminine beauty

While John William Godward’s paintings are distinguished by the detail of their background architecture, particularly the marble in which they are set, the artist is above all considered to be the instigator of a “hymn to the image of women”.

Indeed, John William Godward is known for the beauty and sensuality of the young girls in his paintings. A fervent admirer of the feminine gentleman, he enhances his models with their silk garments, their dyes and their shapes. The artist regularly uses models, some of whom appear in several of his works, such as in the paintings “Sewing Girl” and “Waiting for an Answer”.

In 1922, he painted his last painting, “Contemplation”, before committing suicide. This last painting is a compendium of the style that John William Godward mastered and loved.

Recognising John William Godward’s signature

Like many artists, John William Godward did not sign all of his works. However, you will find below an example of a signature in order to give you a first idea. Variations of this signature exist: do not hesitate to contact one of our experts to authenticate a signature in a formal way.

Appraising and selling a painting by John William Godward

If you own a painting or any other sculpture by John William Godward, ask for a free estimate via our online form.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent view of the market price of your painting. In the event of a sale, our specialists will also advise you on the various options available to sell your work at the best price.