A Pompeian Lady 1901

John William Godward painted this woman, this "Pompeian Lady," with oils, but at what point did he start? And how? Was it like a dance, back and forth? I wonder if this kind of classical subject was about wanting to bring something back from the past, or inventing the past. You can feel Godward’s breath in the folds of the ochre drapery – it’s so carefully composed. And the way her purple top suggests a body without fully showing it. It’s a bit Titian-esque, the way the colors glow. You can imagine him, lost in thought, stepping back, squinting, then moving forward to make tiny adjustments with his brush. Painters build on each other’s work, have conversations across generations. Maybe some future artist will look at my paintings and find something that helps them figure out their own way of seeing and feeling.