Orpheus

This is one of G F Watts’s rare and unique preparatory models for his painting Orpheus and Eurydice. The brilliant thing about Watts’s artistic practice was that it was fluid. His paintings would influence his sculpture and his sculpture would influence his paintings. As a result, he often tackled the same subject matter in different mediums, over several years. We know that Watts painted Orpheus and Eurydiceon at least three occasions. Compositionally they are all similar, and all capture a highly dramatic moment. In the painting, Orpheus is grasping at the pale figure of Eurydice as she swoons back towards the land of the dead. Her body hangs limp in Orpheus’s arms while he twists violently back to cling to her. The outline of her body is already dissolving into the dark background. In Watts Gallery Trust collection, we have three preparatory models of Orpheus that Watts created quickly, in plaster. Models of this type enabled Watts to visualise complex compositions and the expressions of his figures, all whilst following the rules of anatomy. They vary significantly in size and level of finish, from small-scale models used for dense multi-figure compositions to larger, more developed studies. The two full length studies of Orpheus were created incredibly quickly. You can still see the finger marks where Watts was modelling at great speed, with his focus on the twist of the torso, rather than the finer details.