21 Facts About Gwen John

Gwendolen Gwen Mary John was a Welsh artist who worked in France for most of her career.

Gwen John's mother died when Gwen was eight years old.

From 1895 to 1898, Gwen John studied at the Slade School of Art, where the program was modelled after the French atelier method with various levels of student working under a master artist.

Gwen John developed a close relationship with the woman who would become her brother's wife, Ida Nettleship.

Gwen John won the Melvill Nettleship Prize for Figure Composition in her final year at Slade.

Gwen John refused his advice, and demonstrated throughout her life a marked disregard for her physical well-being.

Gwen John returned to London in 1899 and exhibited her work for the first time in 1900, at the New English Art Club.

In 1904, the two went to Paris, where Gwen John found work as an artist's model, mostly for women artists.

Gwen John was given to fierce attachments to both men and women that were sometimes disturbing to them, and Rodin, despite his genuine feeling for her, eventually resorted to the use of concierges and secretaries to keep her at a distance.

Quinn's support freed Gwen John from having to work as a model, and enabled her to devote herself to her work.

Gwen John painted numerous variants on such subjects as Young Woman in a Spotted Blue Dress, Girl Holding a Cat and The Convalescent.

In Meudon Gwen John lived in solitude, except for her cats.

Gwen John exhibited in Paris for the first time in 1919 at the Salon d'Automne, and exhibited regularly until the mid-1920s, after which time she became increasingly reclusive and painted less.

Gwen John had only one solo exhibition in her lifetime, at the New Chenil Galleries in London in 1926.

Gwen John met Maritain's sister-in-law, Vera Oumancoff, with whom she formed her last romantic relationship, which lasted until 1930.

Gwen John's last dated work is a drawing of 20 March 1933, and no evidence suggests that she drew or painted during the remainder of her life.

Gwen John died there on 18 September 1939 and was buried in Janval Cemetery.

Gwen John's portraits are usually of anonymous female sitters seated in a three-quarter length format, with their hands in their laps.

Gwen John created few prints and only two etchings made in 1910 exist.

An S4C documentary presented by Ffion Hague about Gwen John's life included filming of the unveiling of a memorial plaque to the artist in Dieppe's Janval Cemetery in 2015.

Gwen John was the aunt of the cellist Amaryllis Fleming, her brother's illegitimate daughter with his other mistress Evelyn Fleming, whose husband Valentine was a Member of Parliament.