John Reinhard Weguelin, R.W.S. (1849-1927)
A nude seated on the shore, c. 1888
Oil on canvas
10 x 20¼ in. (25.4 x 51.4 cm.)
Private collection
He specialized in figurative paintings with lush backgrounds, typically landscapes or garden scenes. Weguelin emulated the neo-classical style of Edward Poynter and Lawrence Alma-Tadema, painting subjects inspired by classical antiquity and mythology. He depicted scenes of everyday life in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as mythological subjects, with an emphasis on pastoral scenes. Weguelin also drew on folklore for inspiration, and painted numerous images of nymphs and mermaids.
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
Lesbia, c. 1878
Lesbia is depicted as a young woman, standing contrapposto and framed in the gateway of a garden. She is clad only in a diaphanous gown through which sunlight is visible, and in her hair is a garland. Lesbia is feeding the birds, which fly and perch about her and gather at her feet.
She is widely supposed to have been Clodia, around whom swirled rumors and scandals involving some of the most prominent men at Rome.
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
Pressing Grapes, c. 1880
Oil on canvas
45 1/2 x 30"
The two women stand on either side of a pole suspended from above, which they grasp with their hands to keep their balance. Stone jars and baskets of grapes line the wall. A young girl with a ribbon in her hair leans against a large vessel, her feet on a stool as she watches the women work.
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
An Egyptian Difficulty in the Time of Augustus, c. 1885
Oil on canvas
36 x 24 ¼ in. (91.4 x 61.6 cm.)
Private collection
An Egyptian Difficulty in the time of Augustus, otherwise known as A Young Girl with Flamingoes, and probably the same as Dance of the Flamingos, was exhibited in the Grosvenor Gallery. The catalogue describes the painting as, "a girl with flamingoes; marble arch over bronze door. A characteristic picture by this artist." In one hand, the girl holds a hoop wound with ivy or a similar vine, and in the other a stalk of grass, which she waves toward one of a group of tame flamingos, apparently trying to coax it through the hoop.
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat, c. 1886
Oil on canvas
994 x 1425 x 85 mm
Auckland Unlimited
In 1889 eight illustrations by J R Weguelin, although not this image, were published in The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt, by the popular and prolific historical novelist G A Henty. The plot turns on the accidental killing of a sacred cat.
So esteemed were even the most common animals of the cat tribe that, if a cat happened to die in a house, the inhabitants went into mourning and shaved their eyebrows in token of their grief; the embalmers were sent for, the dead cat made into a mummy, and conveyed with much solemnity to the great catacombs set aside for the burial of the sacred animals. More on this painting
A priestess offers gifts of food and milk to the spirit of a cat. On an altar stands the mummy of the deceased, and the tomb is decorated with frescoes, urns of fresh flowers, lotus blossoms, and statuettes. The priestess kneels as she wafts incense smoke toward the altar. In the background, a statue of Sekhmet or Bastet guards the entrance to the tomb.
His father, William Andrew Weguelin, was Rector of South Stoke, but was forced to relinquish his position about 1856, when he joined the Tractarian Movement, and became a Roman Catholic. When he was still a child, Weguelin's family departed Sussex for Italy, where they lived for several years. Weguelin spent much time at Rome, where he was inspired by art and history.
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
Bacchus and the Choir of Nymphs, c. 1888
Oil on canvas
49 x 108 1/2"
Private collection
John Reinhard Weguelin (1849–1927)
The Gardens of Adonis, c. 1888
Oil on canvas
93 x 135 cm
I have no further description, at this time
A group of maidens carry potted plants down to the sea, in commemoration of the death of Adonis. A girl plays a flute as the ceremony proceeds.
John Reinhard Weguelin (1849–1927)
Rodantha or Rodanthe, circa 1894
Watercolor
Height: 13.7 in (34.9 cm); Width: 20.7 in (52.7 cm)
A nymph or woman turned into a rose by the goddess Diana (Artemis) so she could evade the unwanted attention of her suitors. In the painting she is draped in blue and reclining against a pile of cushions.
Other than a few drawing lessons in Italy, Weguelin had no formal training in art during his childhood. In 1860, the eleven-year-old Weguelin was sent to Cardinal Newman's Oratory School in Edgbaston. From 1870 to 1873, he worked as an underwriter for Lloyd's of London.
John Reinhard Weguelin
Psyche
Oil on canvas
24 x 20''
Private collection
Psyche was the youngest daughter of a Greek king and queen. She had two elder sisters. She was the fairest among her siblings and she looked like a goddess among mortals. She was so beautiful that people, including priests, compared her to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Many went to the extent of saying that she was even fairer than the goddess. When Aphrodite's temples were deserted because people started worshiping Psyche, the goddess was outraged. As a punishment, she sent her son, Eros, to make Psyche fall in love with a vile and hideous person. However, Eros fell in love when he saw her and decided to spare her from his mother's wrath. More on Psyche
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
GRECIAN GIRL
Oil on canvas
67½ by 31⅜ in. 171.5 by 79.7 cm
Private collection
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
The mermaid, c. 1906
Watercolour heightened with bodycolour
10 x 14 in. (25.4 x 35.7 cm.)
Private collection
A mermaid is a marine creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. The first stories appeared in ancient Assyria. Mermaids can be benevolent or beneficent.
Weguelin illustrated Hans Andersen's classic The Little Mermaid in 1893 and, as seen by the work offered above, the subject of the Mermaid was one he returned to throughout his career.
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
The lone sea-maid
Watercolour heightened with bodycolour
10 x 14 in. (25.4 x 35.7 cm.)
Private collection
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
Mermaid, c. 1911
Watercolour,
25 x 36cm.
Private collection
Weguelin was heavily influenced by the work of Lawrence Alma-Tadema, but within a few years he developed his own interpretation of classical subjects. Beginning in 1878, he exhibited numerous paintings at various London galleries, including the Royal Academy, the Grosvenor Gallery, and the New Gallery. His work was also featured by the Society of British Artists. His subjects included landscapes, classical and Biblical themes, and pastoral scenes. He also produced illustrations for several books.
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
Cherry blossom, c. 1905
Watercolour
53 x 36 cm. (21 x 14 1/4 in.)
Private collection
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
Reflection, c. 1885
Oil on canvas
8 x 10 in. (20.3 x 25.4 cm.)
Private collection
Reflection depicts a nude lying on cushions before a pool of water. She plays with a long garland of roses.
John Reinhard Weguelin
A Pastoral, c. 1905
Watercolour
15 x 21".
Private collection
The Library described Weguelin as one of the few decorative artists who seldom relied on pen, and habitually expressed themselves in "wash" rather than by line: "Mr. Weguelin has illustrated Anacreon in a manner to earn the appreciation of Greek scholars, and his illustrations to Hans Andersen have had a wider and not less appreciative reception. His drawings have movement and atmosphere."
John Reinhard Weguelin (British, 1849-1927)
The Tired Dancer/ Revelry, c. 1879
Oil on canvas
115 x 76.5cm (45 1/4 x 30 1/8in).
Private collection
The Tired Dancer, also known as Revelry (1879), was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery
An exhausted Roman dancer sleeps against a marble bench. She wears a diaphanous red gown, a necklace of turquoise beads, and a garland of yellow flowers, from which a number of petals have fallen as she sleeps. A tambourine lies at her feet, and revelers can be seen in the background.
In 1893, Weguelin took up watercolour for the first time since leaving the Slade. He exhibited The Swing at the Royal Academy, and after a few months he was elected an associate of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours. He became a full member in 1897. From this time, Weguelin painted almost exclusively in watercolour, and produced little in oil. He exhibited regularly at a gallery in Pall Mall East.
In mature life, he settled at Hastings. He died 28 April 1927. More on John Reinhard Weguelin
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