Watts (1817-1904)

About this book

The work is a biographical study of the English painter George Frederick Watts (1817‑1904), written by his son William Loftus Hare. It opens with a vivid description of Watts’s allegorical painting “A little child lying in the lap of the winged figure of Death,” noting its exhibition history and current home in the Tate Gallery, before moving into a long, illustrated catalogue of his masterpieces. The text proceeds to a chronological narrative, beginning with Watts’s early triumph in an 1843 competition for the Houses of Parliament, his formative years in Italy, and the series of portraits and monumental works that established his reputation. Interspersed with plates of his paintings, the book also includes Hare’s reflections on Watts’s friendships, his marriage to Ellen Terry, and his philosophical views on the purpose of art.

Written in a scholarly yet conversational Victorian voice, the book blends factual detail with personal anecdotes, reflecting the late‑19th‑century taste for comprehensive artist monographs. Its dense prose, extensive quotation of contemporary letters, and frequent references to exhibitions and patrons will appeal to readers interested in art history, especially those who enjoy studying the lives of 19th‑century English painters, the cultural milieu of the Royal Academy, and the interplay between biography and visual analysis.