Born: 22 June 1876, United Kingdom
Died: 18 September 1939
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the National Gallery of Art (US). This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Welsh artist Gwen John is known for her paintings and drawings of quiet interiors, often featuring women. Her depictions of friends, fellow artists, and models seated alone in quiet spaces led many to assume she was solitary and introverted. But her striking self-portraits show a self-assured, confident artist.
John worked in London and Paris. She moved in artistic circles with painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler and sculptor Auguste Rodin. (John famously had a 10-year relationship with Rodin. From her letters, we know that she was also involved or infatuated with a number of women.)
During her lifetime, these better-known male artists, as well as her younger brother Augustus, also an artist, overshadowed her. Nevertheless, John was dedicated to her practice and vision.