One of Wales’ great artists, Gwen John lived a colourful life. She was one of the first female painters in Britain to receive formal art training, and later moved to Paris to become a student – and lover – of the legendary sculptor Auguste Rodin, all the while producing delicate, masterful oil paintings of everything from black cats to French landscapes.
Despite this, many people in Wales will be unfamiliar with John’s life and works, an oversight a major new exhibition at National Museum Cardiff hopes to aid in correcting.
Entitled Gwen John: Strange Beauties, the exhibition, which will begin in February 2026, will be the first retrospective of the Welsh artist's work in forty years, taking place on the 150th anniversary of her birth.
Having grown up in Pembrokeshire, where she spent her days sketching the gulls and shells on the beaches of Tenby, John enrolled at the Slade School of Art in London in 1895, becoming one of the first generation of British women to receive a formal art education.
From here, she moved to Paris, where she worked under the tutelage of Rodin, the sculptor who created iconic works like The Thinker and The Kiss (a version of which is also on display at National Museum Cardiff), and began a decade-long affair with the artist. This was one of Gwen’s many love affairs, with both men and women, she undertook throughout her life.
Despite what, on the surface, appears to be an eccentric, flamboyant lifestyle, John is noted for her love for solitude, with the artist eventually moving to Meudon, an outer suburb of Paris, where she lived alone with her cats.
The exhibition will include works from throughout Gwen’s career, showcasing rarely seen drawings and watercolours, as well as some of her most famous portraits – one of her favourite formats – conducted during her years in France.
Speaking about the upcoming exhibition, Amgueddfa Cymru’s Director of Collections and Research, Dr Kath Davies said, ‘As an independent woman living and working as an artist in the early 20th century, Gwen John was a trailblazer.’
‘Many of her drawings and studio works have never been exhibited before and this major new exhibition will be an opportunity to explore John’s technical approach, processes, and the themes which influenced and inspired her. It will also offer the opportunity to rightly celebrate her for being the pioneering artist she was,’ Dr Kath Davies added.
The exhibition is organised by Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales) in partnership with National Galleries of Scotland, the Yale Center for British Art, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C. After its initial four-month run in Cardiff, the exhibition will head on an international tour to the partner galleries during 2026 and 2027.
Tickets for Gwen John: Strange Beauties will be available to book later in the year. More information is available via the National Museum Cardiff website.
National Museum Cardiff is one of the seven national museums of Wales. Learn more about what our national museums have to offer visitors.