Welsh Art News
SPRING 2006

An overview of some of the New Stock.

Once again it has been possible to update www.welshart.co.uk with some interesting early Welsh pictures, as well as one or two 20th century ones from both the North & South.

I am especially pleased to be able to offer the group of late 18th century watercolours by Moses Griffith, artist-servant to the great travel writer and naturalist Thomas Pennant and one of our most important early native painters. He drew most of the views engraved for Pennant's celebrated 'A Tour in Wales' of 1778, and is well represented in the collections of The National Library and National Museum of Wales. However, examples of his Welsh subjects have been very scarce in recent years and indeed only two or three have passed through the gallery in the past decade. The watercolours shown here originally came from The Burton Gallery of Cheshire in 1969 and they subsequently entered a private collection in Anglesey. They give a fair idea of the range of Griffith's work, from the simplicity of the Penmaenmawr view to the topographical accuracy and charm of the large and impressive view of Bangor.

Good examples of Welsh portraiture have also been scarce in recent years and it is gratifying to be able to include a fine 17th century example here. Brynkir is one of the most romantic spots in North Wales, a hidden valley with a Gothick folly tower marking the remains of the once substantial house and estate of the Brynkir family who died out in the middle of the eighteenth century. James Brynkir was Sheriff of Caernarfonshire in 1695 and this portrait was undoubtedly painted in that year, the artist being from Chester where the Welsh gentry of the northern counties generally went when they wished to be immortalised in paint or stone. This portrait is in excellent condiiton and comes with provenance.

From a little further south comes the wonderful carved Barmouth sea-captain's box. Carved off Cuba-Isle in 1807, this is an unusually early example of the craft and it displays the full range of popular marine imagery of the period including Jonah, a Mermaid, Sea-serpant and Buried-Treasure. Edward Jones, the mariner who made it, was first-master of the Athalia, a sloop built in Barmouth in 1803 which was eventually sunk in Caernarfon Bay in 1839.

From a lot further south and from the middle of the last century comes Brian Rees's striking fauve industrial landscape - probably a view of the Baglan steelworks. Rees is a native of Neath and he studied at the Swansea School of Art from 1947-49 followed by a spell at Camberwell.

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Welsh Art selling exhibitions in Wales

We exhibited at the Portmeirion Antiques Fair at the beginning of March with some success although the snow made travelling conditions very difficult. Thank you to those of you who braved the weather and came to the Fair.

Our next scheduled selling exhibition of Welsh Art in Wales will be at the Rhuthin Antiques Fair on 16/17th September this year. An email reminder will be sent out nearer the time.