George Frederic Watts: The Poet of Victorian Symbolism George Frederic Watts (1817-1904) stands as a towering figure in the British art landscape, particularly revered for his contribution to the Symbolist movement. Born Marylebone, London, on February 23rd, 1817, Watts’ life began amidst considerable hardship – his mother succumbed to tuberculosis shortly after his birth, leaving him orphaned and profoundly impacted by loss. His father, a piano maker, instilled in him a grounding in classical education and the humanist ideals of Homer's Iliad, shaping his artistic sensibilities from an earl…