J.W. Waterhouse: The Modern Pre-Raphaelite is the first major survey of Waterhouse’s art since 1978. It will bring together paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, and historical photographs from museums and private collections worldwide, many of which have never been presented publicly. Although the art of Waterhouse is admired widely, the public knows relatively little about the man himself or his artistic production. Thus this project will place Waterhouse's most famous works within the wider context of his career, demonstrating why he ranks among the late nineteenth century’s most thoughtful, and innovative, interpreters of the classical and romantic traditions.

The cooperation between the Groninger Museum, the Royal Academy, and the Montreal Museum was inspired by the fact that all three institutions have specific backgrounds and histories which make them ideally suited to present this exhibition. Waterhouse was trained at the Royal Academy, showed there almost continuously throughout his career, taught there, and served on its governing council. Through the years, the Montreal Museum has acquired a rich collection of paintings by Victorian masters, many of whom were friendly with Waterhouse himself. Over the last few years, the Groninger Museum has gained more and more recognition in the Netherlands and abroad for its exhibitions that focus on nineteenth-century topics. Recent examples are Russian Landscape, which travelled to the National Gallery in London in 2004 and Akseli Gallen-Kallela in 2006.