Him or Picasso

A world in need of idealized beauty

//THREAD - The Story of John William Godward

I share paintings from great artists but I would like to highlight the story of a hidden gem:

John William Godward

Few people who follow art know his name.

And his life-arc reminds me of Japanese author Yukio Mishima.

Godward is not well known.

Few of his works survive but his technique is stunning.

- The architecture
- The flow of fabric
- The vibrant colors

Note the attention to detail

Creating idealized beauty is his one and only goal.

Godward KILLED himself.

The reason: Picasso was popular

His suicide note read,

“the world is not big enough for myself and Picasso."

Most people either conform with the society they live in or cast their ideas aside in order to have a normal life.

Godward refused to do either.

Like Mishima his death, in itself, was a work of art.

His family disapproved of him being an artist.

They removed all of his images from family portraits and soon after his death, they destroyed many of his works.

His only KNOWN picture is from this self-portrait.