Spotlight: Gwen John

Nice small display at Tate Britain of work in their collection by Gwen John.

A small selection of work was used to talk about the change in John’s technique over her career from a smooth to a rough finish on her work. It also talked about how she often painted series of works.

The show included her lovely self-portrait in a red dress, three of her cat drawings, this lovely picture of Chloe Broughton Leigh and a couple of her delicate portraits of nuns which she sold to raise money for the orphans in their care.

It was nice to see her brother Augusts downplayed however I’m sure they could have mentioned him once, particular in the context of a portrait of his wife Dorelia!

Close 3 January 2021

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