John, Gwen

John, Gwen (b Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, 22 June 1876; d Dieppe, 18 Sept. 1939). British painter. She was the sister of Augustus John, but his complete opposite artistically, as she was in personality, living a reclusive life and favouring introspective subjects. After studying at the Slade School, 1895–8, she took lessons in Paris from Whistler, and adopted from him the delicate greyish tonality that characterizes much of her work (once when Augustus John mentioned to Whistler that Gwen had a fine sense of character, he replied: ‘Character? What's that? It's the tone that matters. Your sister has a fine sense of tone’). In 1899 she returned to London, but in 1904 she settled permanently in France, living first in Paris (earning her living modelling for other artists—including Rodin, who became her lover), then from 1911 in Meudon, on the outskirts of the city. In 1913 she became a Catholic, and she said: ‘My religion and my art, these are my life.’ Most of her paintings depict single figures (typically girls or nuns) in interiors, painted with great sensitivity and an unobtrusive originality (Self-Portrait, c.1900, NPG, London). She had only one exhibition devoted to her work during her lifetime (at the New Chenil Galleries, London, in 1936) and at the time of her death was little known. However, her brother's prophecy that one day she would be considered a better artist than him has been fulfilled, for as his star has fallen hers has risen, and since the 1960s she has been the subject of numerous books and exhibitions. ‘Few on meeting this retiring person in black’, said Augustus, ‘with her tiny hands and feet, soft, almost inaudible voice, and delicate Pembrokeshire accent would have guessed that here was the greatest woman artist of her age, or, as I think, of any other…Fifty years from now [he was speaking in 1946] I shall be known as the brother of Gwen John.’