The final artwork of which this was a preparatory piece for, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, is far more complex and also features very different poses than seen here, suggesting that the artist chose to move in a different direction after completing this piece. Here we find a young woman facing us directly on whilst holding a variety of flowers that she has just picked. There is no interaction with anyone else in this study, and perhaps at this stage Waterhouse had intended to only include one figure in the final piece. Eventually there were two women in the foreground, with another in the background. It may have been that the inclusion of further people here forced the artist to change postures in order to allow the women to relate to each other. Either way, this study is still beautifully constructed and simple enough that the artist can quickly produce the portrait without worrying about any other elements of the later painting.
None of the artist's studies would have been intended for public consumption, though many have now made it into various collections across the UK and command substantial valuations. This piece, for example, would command a price of many thousands of pounds today because of the great level of detailing used as well as the fact that it was produced in oils and links directly to a larger piece which also still exists today. Many items were left over after the artist's death and his widow put a large proportion of them up for auction in the early 20th century, meaning that they would be dispersed widely from that point onwards. Documentation was taken at the time, but many items were in groups which have now been separated up, making it hard to produce a comprehensive study of his drawings as a result.
Another highly skilled artist from the late 19th century who made use of the beauty of the female body within their work was a Czech painter and illustrator by the name of Alphonse Mucha. He was more varied in his oeuvre than Waterhouse, though, having also produced large amounts of history paintings earlier in his career. He later found that illustrated posters would bring in a steady stream of income and help him to achieve financial security for himself and his family, particularly once he moved to the city of Paris in France. Once this was established he would later return to his native Czech nation and work on other projects which most intrigued and inspired him, such as The Slav Epic. In terms of his female portraiture, perhaps his finest contribution was Gismonda which featured tiled decoration, stunning attire and his trademark style of typography which was well suited to the time.
