He was well known for his classical themes and expressing inner female aspects that give the mystic feeling. It has the power to draw attention and lift eyebrows as people ask what the story behind the sleek woman is. The painting portrays a beautiful woman who is leaning on a cream coloured wall that is lined with flowers. This technique adds to the elegance of the artwork. John William gives his heroin an exotic look as he drapes her in flowing fabric with her hair held up in a bun and a white band. These pigments, that is, the dark of her hair and the bold hue of the fabric, highlight her porcelain skin tone, accomplishing elegance in simplicity, a trait he was very well known for.
In the background of the illustration, the artist uses the technique of soft, blurred, and short brush strokes to paint the trees that seem to be miles away from where the elegant woman stands. In selecting his colour pallet, Waterhouse makes use of warm colours, giving the piece its calm tone. Each shade is beautifully blended with the next, a technique so few could accomplish effectively. This is seen in the creation of the wall that also seems to have the shadow of the subject. The artist does not fail to achieve realism in this piece of canvas. His artwork reflects numerous details, which he highlights, that would otherwise be neglected by other artists. This tells of the patience, time, and passion that he showed while working on this piece.
Some of the colours seen in this beautiful masterpiece are shades of green, applied to the background leaves and trees. A pale red for the cloth on the ground, and a unique slightly blue-green that he uses on the sky. There is also a touch of grey at the bottom of the wall and a hint of black for the shadows that can be seen reflecting on the wall. His inspiration in this piece seems to be an ordinary scene that he wanted to capture and romanticize, giving his signature a classical touch. The oil canvas painting Gone, But Not Forgotten is currently located in a private collection. Those interested in female portraiture may also enjoy the likes of The Tub, The Dancing Class and After the Bath, Woman Drying Herself by Edgar Degas.
