A Fair Reflection 1915

"A Fair Reflection" by John William Godward seems to ask us about beauty and the process of creating it. I wonder how long it took him to make the woman's dress look so delicate, so airy, like it might float off her body at any moment. The texture of the marble is another thing, it’s so smooth and cool, yet full of movement like a stormy sea. And the colors, those greens and purples, are so rich and deep, they seem to glow from within. Look at how he uses light to define the forms, especially in the folds of the dress and the woman's arm. And those little details, like the box on the table and the leaf, they all add to the sense of realism and intimacy. This reminds me of some of Ingres' portraits, though maybe a bit sweeter. Ultimately, Godward reminds us that art is not just about what we see, but how we see it, and how that seeing can change us, if we let it.