The image that we have remaining of this painting is not of the best quality and so it is a little harder to appreciate the colour balances and detail added by the artist in this particular artwork. That said, we can still see his trademark style here of a sweet model dressed in classical clothing, sat outside in the British countryside. Waterhouse was Italian-born and also greatily appreciated French art but also was well acquainted with British art of recent generations. All of these influences his approach, but he fused them together in a way that created his own unique style of art.
John Everett Millais created the most famous Ophelia-inspired painting and this would have influence Waterhouse's decision to take on this topic. Waterhouse was closely connected to the Pre-Raphaelites but was a generation younger and, as such, was never truly a part of the Brotherhood, but his work still bore clear similarities in some aspects. Slim, pale women can be found throughout his career and these models appeared again within that movement, though the facial expressions that they were given did differ slightly between the two. John William Waterhouse was always respectful of his muses and used them on several occasions. When studying his paintings in detail, you will notice the same models appear multiple times in different artworks, sometimes even in paintings and drawings too.
Waterhouse had an ability to produce elegant beauty within his paintings and was highly skilled in the flow of clothing from the body, something that requires considerable practice. An understanding of both anatomy and also the different materials involved with male and female clothing must be understood in order to create realistic finishes. Art fans in the modern era have shown a great love for his work and regularly purchase prints to add to their own homes. Few can argue with their taste, as whilst we can debate over who were the most technically proficient or influential of artists from the past few centuries, Waterhouse's style was charming, beautiful and positive.
