John William Waterhouse

John William Waterhouse (April 6, 1849 - February 10, 1917) was born in Rome to English parents who were both painters. He was referred to as "Nino" throughout his life. In the 1850s the family returned to England. Before entering the Royal Academy schools in 1870, Waterhouse assisted his father in his studio. His early works were of classical themes and were exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of British Artists and the Dudley Gallery. Waterhouse created a distinctive type of female beauty which dominates his work, and he was fascinated by myths of the enchantress. His favourite device was to create psychological tension between a single figure and a group. He worked several decades after the breakup of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which had seen its heyday in the mid-nineteenth century, leading him to have gained the moniker of "the modern Pre-Raphaelite". Borrowing stylistic influences not only from the earlier Pre-Raphaelites but also from his contemporaries, the Impressionists, his artworks were known for their depictions of women from both ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend. In the late 1870s and the 1880s, Waterhouse made several trips to Italy, where he painted genre scenes. [Source: Wikipedia]