Although British, John William Waterhouse was born in Rome, Italy, in 1849 where his father was working as a painter. He was known by the nickname "Nino" throughout his life. Nino began to paint with his father and train at home even after they returned to England in 1854. He entered the Royal Academy schools in 1870 and began exhibiting there in 1874 and continued to...see more » do so throughout the rest of his life.
Waterhouse was known for his romantic and poetic subjects, particularly pre-Raphaelite and tragic themes with commanding femmes fatales. He specialized in both classical and modern themes in Italy and England, including classical art, literature, architecture, mythological and historical themes.
He moved to St. John's Wood in 1901 and joined St. John's Wood Arts Club, a social organization. The Club's membership included Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, who greatly influenced Waterhouse's art. He was also a much-respected instructor and served on the advisory counsel at the St. John's Wood School for many years.
Waterhouse's very atmospheric art was characterized by rich, bold brushwork and he was skilled in both oils and watercolors. He was elected to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, but resigned in 1889. He was also known for his work in plein-air painting.
Although increasingly frail in his declining years, he continued to paint until his death from cancer in 1917 in England. He left an unfinished canvas, "The Enchanted Garden" which is now at a gallery in Liverpool. Waterhouse's many works can be found in galleries around the world.« see less
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