The Tambourine Player 1909

John William Godward painted "The Tambourine Player" with oils, but the exact date is unknown. There is a smooth, almost polished surface to the painting, where the brushstrokes seem to vanish into the figures and their surroundings. Godward creates this very idealised, perfect world, and the brushwork is almost invisible. This idea of concealing the process chimes with the subject matter, because Godward is picturing a world that is both classical and yet, deeply romantic. Look at the way the red fabric wraps around the figure, there's so much attention paid to the drape of the material, the way it catches the light and suggests the form underneath, and the slightly translucent texture of the woman's purple gown. It brings to mind a painter like Lawrence Alma-Tadema, who was another British artist that was very interested in depicting the ancient world. Both artists are less interested in depicting classical life, and more intrigued by an idealised and romantic vision of it.