Lines and Colors art blog

Eye Candy for Today: Waterhouse’s Gather Rosebuds

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, John William Waherhouse
Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, John William Waterhouse

The title is from the famous first verse of Robert Herrick’s poem, “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time“:

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

On Wikipaintings. Original is in a private collection.

There is another, perhaps even better known, painting by Waterhouse with the same title.


Comments

2 responses to “Eye Candy for Today: Waterhouse’s Gather Rosebuds”

  1. Brian Harrison Avatar
    Brian Harrison

    I have always had a love for the Pre-Raphaelites and followers – great works !
    Anyone passing the Port Sunlight Village in Wirral, UK, can see a fantastic collection of similar work at The Lady Leverhulme Museum.

  2. Lorette Avatar

    O, la la! How a poem can inspire the artist en lignes et couleurs.

    Robert Herrick. 1591–1674
    To the Virgins, to make much of Time

    GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
    Old Time is still a-flying:
    And this same flower that smiles to-day
    To-morrow will be dying.

    The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
    The higher he ‘s a-getting,
    The sooner will his race be run,
    And nearer he ‘s to setting.

    That age is best which is the first,
    When youth and blood are warmer;
    But being spent, the worse, and worst
    Times still succeed the former.

    Then be not coy, but use your time,
    And while ye may, go marry:
    For having lost but once your prime,
    You may for ever tarry.

    Merci, Charley.