The Hendersons were one of Waterhouse's main commissioners. The lady in this 1908 portrait, Mrs. A.P. Henderson, died young- only 4 years after this portrait was completed.

"I am Half Sick of Shadows" was Nino's 3rd painting on the subject of Tennyson's "Lady of Shallot". This painting represents the line in the poem when the Lady, destined to be forever alone, expresses her loneliness: "I am half-sick of shadows, said the Lady of Shalott".

"Miranda- The Tempest" has always been considered one of the finest works painted in the last year of Nino's life. Miranda stands swaying against the storm while under the high cliffs the doomed ship plunges downwards- a scene filled with all the drama fit to portray such a subject.

In a tribute which relates with what esteem this artist was held by his peers, the painting "The Enchanted Garden" was shown after his death at the Academy of 1917- even though it remained an unfinished work.

It is worthwhile to mention that although it has only been recently that Waterhouse's work has resurfaced into the mainstream, he was, in his own lifetime, considered to be one of the greatest artist's of his day.

Often he is considered to be a pre-raphaelite artist, but in reality he never belonged to the brotherhood and was always original; inspired by his own love of history and myth.

His paintings are successful due not only to their perfection in the academic sense, but also because they reach to us- even goddesses have that 'girl next door' quality that we recognize and can relate with in our own world.

On February 10, 1917 a long illness made end of one of the finest painters of myth and beauty known to British art.

02/02/98