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David Jones (British, 1895-1974)
pencil, crayon and watercolour
38 x 57 cm. (14 7/8 x 22 3/8 in.)
Painted in 1961
Footnotes
Provenance
Gifted from the Artist to Valerie Price
Private Collection, U.K.
Exhibited
London, Tate Gallery, David Jones, July-September 1981, cat.no.138
Literature
Jonathan Miles and Derek Shiel, David Jones: The Maker Unmade, Seren, Bridgend, 1995, p.274 (ill.)
Thomas Dilworth, David Jones, Engraver, Soldier, Painter, Poet, Jonathan Cape, London, 2017, pp.301-302 (col.ill)
The present work is accompanied by an explanatory letter from the artist to Valerie Price dated 1973, extensively detailing the symbolism of the work. In it he comments:
"The open casement windows were drawn direct from those windows at Northwick Lodge, the round topped [arch] in the middle was added as the drawing proceeded, as I found I wanted a further opening, I believe a ship with coloured sails can be seen through that opening"
"The high-tide & the sea has flung up over the windowsill, some stones & (I think) shells & parts of the tackle and cordage of one of the vessels smashed in the sea battle & some ill aimed or stray arrows from the battle also drive in through the casement, on the ledge of which some of Gwener's vestments has been hung out to dry"
"The Gulls as they swirl in become doves as they approach the Goddess, because the dove was one of the creatures sacred to her. As you know, Eros or Cupid, was the son of the Goddess and carried a bow that discharged arrows. I decided that his bow should be a cross-bow, & his 'arrows' would be 'bolts', hence the cross-bow left under the coverlet mixed with flowers"
"The cat at rest on the couch is because in the Nordic mythology a goddess, more or less equivalent with the classical Venus- Aphrodite, had white cats that drew her car across the blue heavens, but I don't happen to much like white cats & so I made a tabby one."
The present composition was printed in limited edition by the Curwen Press.
NB
Thomas Dilworth's book about David Jones is excellent.
