Gwen John, Autoportrait à la Lettre, (Self-Portrait with a letter), c.1907-9. Musée Rodin.
Dr Alicia Foster, author of the acclaimed new biography of Gwen John and curator of the accompanying exhibition Gwen John: Art and Life in London and Paris at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, demolishes the myth of the artist as a recluse and uncovers the life, loves and influences of Gwen John as a groundbreaking modern artist.
Gwen John (1876-1939) was one of the most significant British artists of the early 20th century. Overshadowed by her brother Augustus John, her reputation has grown steadily since her death. This talk will explore her many relationships with artists and writers, her long affair with Auguste Rodin and passionate friendships with women including the poet Jeanne Robert Foster and Vera Oumancoff. Among those who crossed paths with her were such luminaries as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Ezra Pound and Maude Gonne.
This is a story not of isolation, but of connection, which places Gwen John in the company of modern artists including James McNeill Whistler, Maurice Denis, and Paul Cezanne. Literature also influenced her, from the writing of her friend the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, to her knowledge of French philosophy and religious thought. She lived through the First World War in France and saw the rise of women artists like Paula Modersohn-Becker and Marie Laurencin.
Discover Gwen John as never seen before: driven, brilliant, assured, and a compelling part of the art history of her time.
Gwen John: Art and Life in London and Paris by Alicia Foster is published by Thames & Hudson (May 2023). Ticket holders will receive a code for 30% off the retail price of the book via their website. U.K. orders only
Proceeds from our ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.