Gwen John

One of the greatest female artists of her time, Gwen John is known for her fondness of the European lifestyle, mainly Paris. Trained at the Slade School in London, John learned the many techniques of painting with her brother Augustus, another famous painter of this era. After graduating, John decided to explore Paris and began to work under Whistler, who gave her the inspiration to explore tonality and the encouragement to define her sense of art as a delicate image to the eye. In the early 1900’s, John had decided to walk to Rome, but only found herself back in her beloved city of Paris, France. Upon returning, John decided to settle in the city and started modeling couture on the runaway. Through her modeling career, John was introduced to Rodin a sculptor, who she feel deeply in love with. As an artist himself, Rodin urged his wife to paint more, but she only produced a few pieces due to a lack of imagination and motivation. However, through the generous input of John Quinn, an American lawyer, John was finally able to forget her career as a model and define her name as an artist in Paris. As John grew into her older age, she lived a quiet life alone in the country side of France where she grew as an artist. Although she never exhibited much of her work, she began to paint intimate scenes of small subject matter, which were most often female portraits. Another matter she painted often was the corner of her studio in distinctive muted colors representing a tranquility and simplistic ideal. Commonly viewed as a dull artist, there are strong emotions and strength within her soul that is present in each of her paintings. Ultimately, as a women, Gwen John worked harder to prove herself as an artist and therefore is known one of the most admired females in the history of art.

Quotes from John:

"When I was a child, I used to cry all the time."

"Aloneness is nearer God, nearer reality."

"In talking, shyness and timidity distort the very meaning of my words. I don't pretend to know anybody well. People are like shadows to me and I am like a shadow."

"To be reserved, secretive, with a passionate violence that causes suffering."