Description
The female muse wears a beautiful, classical green dress and has golden clasps on each of her biceps. A small display of red comes from a second layer of clothing that she wears beneath her dress and it sneaks out around her arms. There are small golden linings which make their way across her neckline.
Small, subtle floral patterns can also be found on her dress, though not in a way that clashes from the real flowers that she holds in her bowl. Perhaps she has just collected them from her garden and returns to arrange them in her house? There is also a small detail in the back of her hair which one can only just make out from the window behind.
Multiple Versions
This painting was immediately sent to the Royal Academy in 1908, the year in which he complete it, as well as several other artworks of the same name. Others versions included a brunette within a garden, though that one was never fully finished.
Perhaps he tried out several ideas and eventually decided that the work found in this page was the one that most deserved to be perserved with. It is hard to disagree when we see such as beautiful artwork as this sat before us. The artist also created a number of studies of the model found here, all focused on her facial features and without any of the extra detail which we find here.
Analysis
There are many charming features to this painting, from the small bowl of flowers which are centred within the composition, to the calming expression of the young lady and the stunning detail on the window behind her.
There are coat of arms featured alongside an ornate display of craftsmanship though the artist is careful to avoid too much light saturating the main foreground of the painting. The stained glass window featured at the back adds perfectly to the charm of this scene.
He often used fairly dark shadows within his paintings that accurately captures the combination of the British climate and also the style of centuries-old cottages, where windows were often fairly small.
Mythical themes also dominated a number of his paintings, with ancient Roman clothing and architecture bringing anoth dimension to his work. This was common for the period, as was the Orientalist movement. Towards the end of the Victorian era, however, tastes started to change and his work was not now viewed as fresh or exciting.
Location
It remains in a private collection, as with many of the most famous works by this artist. Waterhouse was popular during his own lifetime, encouraging collectors to acquire his work, but never quite famous enough for larger museums and galleries to show the same interest. This is why today so many of his artworks still reside in small private collections, with many passed down several generations.
Large Image of Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May (1908)
See below for a larger image of this painting, illustrating the entire composition and bringing some of the detail to life. The interesting details to note include the stained glass windows in the background, as well as the beautiful flower heads which sit in a bowl, held up by the young lady.
Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May (1908)
