Study in Oils

Study in Oils, dated 1917, is one of the very last works Waterhouse produced before his death in February of that year at the age of sixty-seven. That a painter in declining health continued to work in oils to within months of his death reflects the deep habitual nature of his practice. A 'study in oils' is by definition a work in which the painter explores a problem — pose, colour, light, or composition — without the obligation of producing a fully finished exhibition piece. These late studies allow us to see Waterhouse's technique at its most instinctive and unguarded, stripped of the finish that exhibition canvases required. Whatever the subject depicted, the work carries the poignant weight of its temporal proximity to the artist's end.

As a study, the handling is characteristically loose and exploratory — brushwork is broad, forms are suggested rather than elaborated, and areas of unpainted or thinly painted canvas may remain visible. The late date corresponds to Waterhouse's most freely handled period, and the study format amplifies this freedom further.