Gwen John - Art and Life in London and Paris

 

The gentle, contemplative, quietly compelling paintings of Gwen John (1876-1939) occupy a special place in my personal pantheon. I’m still pinching myself that Gwen John - Art and Life in London and Paris, a major exhibition of her work at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, coincided with my visit to the UK. I thought I knew her work fairly well, but the exhibition includes numerous works, including drawings, rough sketches, studies, landscapes, streetscapes and still lifes I’ve never seen before, even in reproduction. 

It’s a brilliant, immersive exhibition, beautifully presented. A visit to Chichester is always a treat and if the gallery cafe is full, lunch at the nearby Cathedral cafe is highly recommended.

Pictured top: 

1 Outside Pallant House Gallery, Chichester. (Photo credit: Bev Murray)

Pictured below:

2 Young Woman Holding a Black Cat, c. 1920-25

3 Dorelia in a Black Dress, c. 1903-4
4 Self-Portrait with a Letter, c. 1907-9
5 Chloe Boughton-Leigh, 1910
6 Corner of the Artist’s Room in Paris, 1907-9
7 The Seated Woman (The Convalescent) c. 1910-1920
8 The Convalescent c. 1923-24
9 The Brown Teapot, 1915-16
10 Woman in a Red Shawl, late 1910s-1920s