A fascinating study of the artistic activity manifest in Wales between 1870 and 1950, comprising essays on various artists, sculptors and architects, their work and social influences on them, their friends and benefactors. 41 black-and-white and 25 colour illustrations and 1 map.

Astudiaeth hynod ddiddorol o'r bywiogrwydd celfyddydol a amlygwyd yng Nghymru rhwng 1870 a 1950, yn cynnwys erthyglau am amrywiol artistiaid, cerflunwyr a phenseiri, eu gweithiau a'r dylanwadau cymdeithasol arnynt hwy, eu ffrindiau a'u noddwyr. 41 llun du-a-gwyn, 25 llun lliw ac 1 map.

This series of art historical essays by Eric Rowan and Carolyn Stewart makes another contribution to the growing knowledge of art in Wales. However, it strikes the reader as strange that the only reference to the recent work done by Peter Lord and his team of researchers describes it as 'an ambitious publishing venture' and as 'an unprecedented, endearingly unselective catalogue of images'. The authors fail to locate their studies within a wider art history, reiterating the belief that was a dearth of art in Wales and that only a few isolated examples of valuable activity relieved this condition before about 1950. The ‘Conclusion’ to the book is also unfortunate, in that it presents a highly selective account of art in Wales since 1950.

The subjects chosen by the co-authors provide a varied, interesting and complex study of some aspects of our art history. There is considerable emphasis on the relationships between artist and patron, and there is a theme linking the essays that shows how single patrons played a significant role in the careers of very different artists. One example of this is that of John Quinn, the New York lawyer and collector who became a posthumous admirer of the strange, unattractive and certainly elusive Frederick Rolfe, but who was also an associate of Augustus John and a collector of his work. Other themes interact throughout the book, such as that of the importance of Roman Catholicism for a number of the artists studied and of the coexistence of the influence of the world of industrial enterprise with the frequent desire of artists to remove themselves to remote, rural places.

While they deal with quite well-known episodes in the history of art in Wales, such as the extraordinary design activity of William Burges, the trips to the Arenig and the Migneint by John and Innes, the development of the patronage of the Davies sisters and the story of Cedric Morris, the authors tend to focus on aspects of the interplay of personalities and their circumstances, revealing some fascinating insights. Similarly, less well-known incidents, such as the unhappy story of the association of Frederick Rolfe, alias Baron Corvo, with the shrine to St Winefride at Holywell, are also told in detail: the authors recount stories of personal fortunes, misfortunes, animosities and friendships. In the chapter on the Belgian Artist Refugees in Wales, art history is shown as being deeply entwined in the momentum and caprices of social and political history, as the ‘plot’ to bring certain notable Belgian artists to Wales is told in the light of the domestic vicissitudes of the First World War.

Shelagh Hourahane

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

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