Whence? Whither?, George Frederick Watts

Exhibition Label: "Corpus," Apr-2012, Susan Earle Where are we going when we first arrive in the world? Where do we come from? What paths will life take us on? This baby’s body and gesture serve to lure us into these open-ended topics. Posing questions instead of providing answers, this painting, called Whence? Whither?, is both alluring and repellent. A nude infant emerges from the sea, symbolizing the soul of humanity, as if arising from the waters of eternity. The baby reaches toward us, seeking our embrace, glad at the prospect of a human to hold and relieved to reach the shoreline. The painting suggests questions about evolution and the nature of existence that were important to the artist, George Frederic Watts, a Victorian who was one of the best-known artists in England in his day. Painted in 1904, the year that the artist died, this late work suggests that issues of origin, birth, and the nature of existence remain vital throughout life, perhaps even intensifying late in life. The artist encourages us to contemplate these topics and seek our own answers. Archive Label: If G.F. Watts’s Whence? Whither? seems confusing and obscure to you, you are not alone. Visitors to the Spencer are often taken aback by its strange subject-an awkward male infant running from threatening waves-and its perplexing title. The title, Whence? Whither?, alludes to important questions regarding human existence. Where did we come from and where are we going? To communicate the universal nature of his inquiry, Watts eliminated all references to specific time and place in the painting. Consequently, we recognize Watts’s painting of 1903-04 as a symbolic image instead of a sentimental or naturalistic depiction of daily life. Watts felt art should provoke and stimulate thought without necessarily providing specific answers. He encourages you to contemplate his symbolism in the hope that you might come to your own conclusions regarding the possible origin and fate of humanity.