J.W. Waterhouse and the Magic of Color

by Dani Cavallaro

Overview

English painter John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) communicates his aesthetic vision through his use of color. Throughout his career, he experimented with color as an element with seemingly spatial qualities. His works have an unusual formalism—figures and settings often appear not merely realistic but somewhat hyperreal. Yet paradoxically Waterhouse’s works border on the abstract, prioritizing chromatic features over content. They invite us to focus on colors—and through them line, shape, texture and rhythm—in much the same way as works by Kandinsky, Klee, Matisse or Pollock.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476628462
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	02/24/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	220
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Dani Cavallaro has written widely about literature, cultural theory, and anime. She lives in London.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface  1
One—The Artist  5
Two—Waterhouse’s Perspective on Color  15
Three—Color and Aestheticism  27
Four—Narrative Color  61
Between pages 92 and 93 are eight color plates
Five—Color and Desire  93
Six—The Materiality of Color  115
Seven—Color in Nature  145
Eight—Color in Decor and Dress  165
Appendix—Waterhouse’s Works  193
Bibliography  197
Index  203