UNIQUEWALES
For The Only One
Original Paintings of Wales
ARTIST: GWENDOLINE (GWEN) MARY JOHN (1876 – 1939)
TITLE: Portrait of David Jones’ Mother aged 16
PRICE: £990
SPECIFICATION:
Medium: Watercolour
APPROXIMATE SIZE: 195mm x 145mm 7 11/16” x 5 11/16”
Picture Overall: 276mm x 226mm 10 7/8” x 8 7/8”
Frame / Mount: Framed without mount in an ornate gilt frame
damage to lower corners (see image above)
ANNOTATIONS: A note verso explains the origins of the painting
THE STORY:
This painting came from a house clearance in West Wales.
Gwendoline (Gwen) Mary John (22nd June 1876 at Haverfordwest -18th September 1939 at Dieppe, France, aged 63) – Watercolour – Portrait of David Jones’ Mother aged 16. Gwen John was a friend of ‘Granny Rose’. (see note verso)
Gwen John was known as a portrait painter.
She studied at The Slade School in London where she won the Melvill Nettleship Prize for figure composition in 1897.
Later she went to The Whistler School in Paris.
She is said to have had an affair with Rodin the sculptor.
The Tate’s biography describes Gwen John as a Welsh artist who worked in France for most of her career. Her paintings are usually of anonymous female subjects rendered in closely related tones.
She was somewhat overshadowed by her infamous brother Augustus Edwin John during her life but has grown considerably since her death.
She exhibited between 1900 and 1926 – records show some of her exhibits:
Carfax & Co Galleries 3
Chenil and New Chenil Galleries 48
New English Art Club 12
Please Note:
I do my best to find out as much as I can about my paintings and the artists who made them.
I also try to give you a little extra information about the subjects shown in my paintings.
I believe that the information above is accurate.
Let me apologise for any errors or typos you may find, they are wholly my own.
Please tell me if my memory has failed me as it sometimes does.
Any images posted with this description form part of the description.
Please ensure you look very carefully at all images and details to make sure that you really really want the picture before you buy or bid.
Thank you for looking at my painting.
Keep safe and well,
Best wishes,
Dai.
Hi Unique Wales!
Really enjoyed reading about Gwen John in the Marshall Cavendish Great Artists series which we picked up from a charity shop.
This is a painting I had not known of hers…
She did do very personal portraits.
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3rd August 2020
Dear Ms Dupont,
Thank you very much indeed for your interest and comment.
I suspect that Gwen John made many of this type and size of portrait in one or more sketch books.
My research shows that several have been offered at auction and they all seem to be of similar size to this one.
She certainly had a striking and, I think, pleasing style.
Keep safe and well,
Best wishes,
Dai Oakley.
ceffylmor on eBay.
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