Gwen John

Gwen John (1876–1939) was born in Haverfordwest, Wales. She lived and worked in the most exciting times and places in the story of European art, in London in the 1890s and in Paris in the first decade of the 20th century. Her work was sought after, and by the 1920s she was so admired in Paris that the American poet Jeanne Robert Foster wrote, “everyone knows of Miss John … and the Salon takes all she will send them.” Yet, [she] has often been misrepresented as a recluse, with little connection to the world around her. Independence, and at times, solitude, were important to her, but her archive also reveals a sociable artist, enjoying life in the art world amongst the great figures of her time. Her’s is … the story of a woman who was part of the culture of her age and was certain she would find a place within history – “I cannot imagine why my vision will have some value in the world - and yet I know it will.” (Room Guide - Gwen John: Art and Life in London and Paris)