About this lot

Description

§ Gwyneth Johnstone (British, 1914-2010) A woman in a landscape with a bird signed 'Gwyneth Johnstone' (lower left) oil on board 38 x 53cm (15 x 21in)
Other Notes: Gwyneth Johnstone (1914-2010) was the daughter of Augustus John and niece of Gwen John, two of the most prominent British artists of the 20th Century. Her mother, the pianist Nora Brownsword, met Augustus John when she posed for him shortly before the First World War. Gwyneth was brought up between London and Norfolk by her mother alone. As a result, she had a rather distant relationship with her father. She was the object of resentment from her half-sisters and suffered the social stigma of illegitimacy. However, at one point she shared a London studio with her father, who depicted her likeness at the age of 17 in the present portrait. A talented artist herself, Gwyneth went on to study at the Slade School between 1933 and 1938, where she forged a lifelong friendship with Mary Fedden. She had a very close relationship with her mother and they often travelled together to Provence, where they stayed in a village near St Tropez. Gwyneth later bought a house in Spain in the 1970s. It was the scenery of the South of France and Spain which inspired her own colourful Mediterranean landscapes, for which she is remembered.
On a panel support which is generally in the good condition. The paint layers have been thickly build up and are unvarnished. There is a raised crack of paint at the lower right corner. There is a build up of dust on the surface. The frame has wear and abrasion.

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