Along with his contemporary and mentor, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, John William set the tone for the Victorian Neoclassicist aesthetic. He built an illustrious career upon creating images of idealized feminine beauty, infused with sensuality and masterful naturalistic detail, within a Graeco-Roman-inspired style. Though greatly influenced by Alma-Tadema, Godward distinguished himself through his predilection for the solitary female figure. His fame rose dramatically in the first few years of the twentieth century due to the burgeoning strength of the British Empire. His popularity was due in large part to the Victorian society's preoccupation with ancient Rome. To many of the newly affluent, Roman society was, as Iain Gale writes, "a flawless mirror of their own immaculate world" Godward's work, with his dark haired beauties idling in diaphanous gowns, was a direct reflection of this pervasive view. His work has enjoyed a resurgence in the past few years and he is now the most celebrated and in-demand English artist on the market today