Watts, George Frederick

Watts, George Frederick

▪ British painter
born Feb. 23, 1817, London
died July 1, 1904, Compton, Surrey, Eng.

      English painter and sculptor of grandiose allegorical themes. Watts believed that art should preach a universal message, but his subject matter, conceived in terms of vague abstract ideals, is full of symbolism that is often obscure and today seems superficial.

      Watts attended the Royal Academy sporadically between 1835 and 1837, exhibiting among other works “The Wounded Heron” (1837; Watts Gallery, Compton). He twice won competitions for the decoration of the Houses of Parliament, and although neither design was ever carried out in fresco, the prize money enabled him to go to Florence in 1843 and to visit Rome and Naples between 1843 and 1847; the most obvious Italian influence in his work is that of Titian.

      The most famous of his later works, “Hope” (1886; version in the Tate Gallery, London), is ambiguous and may be ironic in meaning. Although he tended to despise portrait painting, Watts completed many shrewdly observed portraits of his famous contemporaries, notably that of Cardinal Manning (1882; National Portrait Gallery, London). The house in which he died now contains a permanent collection of his works.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Watts,George Frederick — Watts, George Frederick. 1817 1904. British painter noted for his historical works, portraits, and allegories, including Hope (1885). * * * …   Universalium

  • WATTS, GEORGE FREDERICK —    eminent English painter, born in London; is distinguished as a painter at once of historical subjects, ideal subjects, and portraits; did one of the frescoes in the Poets Hall of the Houses of Parliament and the cartoon of Caractacus led in… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • George Frederick Watts — Autorretrato de George Frederick Watts …   Wikipedia Español

  • George Frederick Watts — Selbstporträt als junger Mann Das Ölbild mit dem Titel Choosing zeigt Watts Ehefrau Ellen Terry, um 1864 George Frederic Watts (* 23 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • George Frederick Bodley — Infobox Architect image size = (use only if image is smaller than 250px) caption = name =George Frederick Bodley nationality =English birth date =1827 birth place = death date =21 October 1907 death place =Water Eaton, Oxfordshire practice name …   Wikipedia

  • Watts — Watts, George Frederick, engl. Maler, geb. 23. Febr. 1817 in London, gest. 1. Juli 1904 auf seinem Landgut Limnerslease, bildete sich in seiner Jugend, ohne Lehrer und ohne Kopien zu machen, hauptsächlich nach den Elgin Marbles im Britischen… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • George Frederic Watts — George Frederic Watts, OM (23 February, 1817 – 1 July, 1904; sometimes spelled George Frederick Watts ) was a popular English Victorian painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement.Watts became famous in his lifetime for his… …   Wikipedia

  • Watts & Co — Watts Co. is a prominent architecture and interior design company. It is one of the most remarkable survivals of the Gothic Revival of the nineteenth century: a firm founded in 1874 by three leading late Victorian church architects, George… …   Wikipedia

  • George Meredith — Retrato de George Meredith por George Frederick Watts Nacimiento 12 de febrero d …   Wikipedia Español

  • Watts — (spr. wotts), George Frederick, engl. Historien und Porträtmaler, auch Bildhauer, geb. 1817 zu London, gest. das. 1. Juli 1904; anfangs in präraffaelitischer Richtung tätig; Hauptbild: Alfred, die Sachsen gegen die Landung der Dänen aufrufend. –… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”