The Betrothed

Similar to Godward's Girl in Yellow Drapery, this painting again features a reclining woman in a relatively tight composition.

In this painting Godward decides to reverse "The Betroved", with her head placed up against the right hand side of the scene. The heavily marbled architecture continues, though an animal skin helps to produce more of a feeling of comfort for this portraiture. The dress is again made of very light material, making her legs visible to a certain degree. This model wears no footwear, where as in Girl in Yellow Drapery she wears sandals.

These poses of internal reflection bring an atmosphere of relaxation which is the type of art that will attract many, but also repel others. Some find these scenes charming and uplifting, whilst others becry a lack of artistic imagination or innovation. In the modern day there is room for all manner of styles in the art world and we are allowed to disagree over what we personally enjoy. Regardless of academic and public perception, Godward was a thorough artist who went to extreme lengths in order to flourish his canvases with a plethora of classical features.