John William Waterhouse: St Cecilia, 1895 (detail)

John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)

Waterhouse was active several decades after the break-up of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which had seen its heyday in the mid 19th century, leading him to be known as "the modern Pre-Raphaelite". Borrowing stylistic influences not only from the earlier Pre-Raphaelites but also from his contemporaries, the Impressionists, his artworks were known for their depictions of women from both ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend.

Inspired by Tennyson's poem The Palace of Art, this is one Waterhouse's most famous pictures, and it was an immediate success when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy. His depiction of St Cecilia stays close to Tennyson's brief description, but adds symbolic poppies as emblems of sleep, and also of death, as St Cecilia was a martyr. Waterhouse belonged to the generation following the Pre-Raphaelites and shared their love of religious and narrative subjects, however he depicted them in the more impressionistic painting technique of his own day.

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HC-743: card size 6" x 6" (150mm x 150mm)