This page only rightly begins with John Williams Waterhouse. His work was my initial muse for this project as he frequented the themes of Classical mythology. His paintings are also wildly recognizable to the general public. What I appreciate most about Waterhouse’s work is that despite his precision and attention to form, he was also a master of non finito, the subtle but deliberate use of non-detail and and obscuring brush work in his compositions – something that can be applied to photography. And lastly, I admire the Pre-Raphaelite’s sensibility to to honor the artists that came before them, but also reject the routine, habitual and convenient art work of their time. Here are two exemplars:
Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus 
Boreas
Following from Waterhouse, there is a whole string or painters from which I have drawn inspiration like Paul Gustave Dore, John Collier, and most importantly the Boston native, Frederick Childe Hassam. Here are select examples of their work which I found inspired:
Paul Dore: Andromeda 
John Collier: The Water Nymph 
Hassam: Nymph On A Rocky Ledge
My hope is that after studying these images, you will see their respective inspiration in the final products of this project.