Date: 1909
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 100 x 83 cm
Location:
John William Waterhouse painted Gather ye Rosebuds While Ye May in 1909, which was inspired by the poem of the same name by Robert Herrick. The title is also the name of the painting, and it begins with the first phrase of the poem. From there, the lines talk about the flower and the passage of time. The final lines describe the end of the poet's life. It was a work of art that received many accolades.
“Gather ye Rosebuds While ye May” is a beautiful painting of a garden. The ethereal beauty of the flowers, which are arranged against the warm, green ground and a sunny sky, will seduce the viewer into contemplating their ephemeral nature. This beautiful work is Waterhouse's second major oil painting and has garnered a wide appreciation among artists.
This painting was created by English artist John William Waterhouse, and was commissioned by a wealthy Canadian family. The painting's value is estimated at $2.5 million. No one knows how it ended up in the farmhouse of a Canadian couple. However, the framer's label on the painting indicates that it was bought in Canada in 1959, which is interesting because the piece has a gold top.
