Welsh art facts for kids

The Bard, 1774, by Thomas Jones (1742–1803). This painting shows a Welsh poet from long ago.

Welsh art includes all the amazing visual creations linked to Wales and its people. Think of paintings, sculptures, and other beautiful things! Much of the art you find in Wales shares styles with the rest of the British Isles. However, many artists from outside Wales have also been inspired by its stunning scenery, especially since the 1700s. They created lots of landscape art about Wales.

Discovering Ancient Welsh Art

The golden Mold Cape from the Bronze Age, made between 1900 and 1600 BC.

Wales has a long history of art, going back thousands of years! In Kendrick's Cave in Llandudno, archaeologists found a decorated horse jaw. This is the oldest known artwork from Wales, dating back to the Ice Age. It's a very special find in Europe. Later, in 2011, faint drawings of a speared reindeer were found in a cave on the Gower Peninsula. These drawings are thought to be from around 12,000–14,000 BC.

Bronze Age Treasures

From the Bronze Age, Wales has given us some incredible treasures. The Mold Gold Cape, now in the British Museum, is a stunning piece of gold clothing. The Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc, found in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, is another important artwork from this time.

Iron Age and Roman Influences

Many beautiful examples of Iron Age Celtic art have been found in Wales. These include amazing metalwork pieces from Llyn Cerrig Bach on Anglesey. The Capel Garmon Firedog is a fancy iron stand, one of the best in Europe from that period. After the Romans arrived in Wales around AD 74-78, luxury items like the Abergavenny Leopard Cup were also found. This shows that Roman goods were present in Wales.

Early Medieval Art and Manuscripts

The Ricemarch Psalter, created around 1080. This shows the start of Psalm 1.

During the Early Medieval period, Welsh art was part of a style called Insular art found across the British Isles. We have some beautiful illuminated manuscripts (hand-written books with colourful decorations) that might have been made in Wales. The 8th-century Hereford Gospels and Lichfield Gospels are famous examples. The Ricemarch Psalter, made in St David's around 1080, is definitely Welsh. It shows a mix of old Insular styles with some Viking influences.

Medieval Buildings and Lost Art

Not many buildings from this early period remain. Unlike Ireland and Scotland, early Welsh standing stones mostly have geometric patterns and words, not pictures of people. However, stones from the 10th century do show Christ and saints.

Wales was not always a wealthy place. So, the most impressive medieval buildings are often military castles. Many were built by the Normans and English, like the famous "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd" and Beaumaris Castle. These are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Welsh princes, like Llywelyn the Great, also built castles such as Criccieth Castle.

Many churches from this time were quite simple. They often had colourful wall-paintings and other religious art. Sadly, like in the rest of Britain, very little of this art has survived today.

The Renaissance in Wales: A New Beginning

A rare portrait by Richard Wilson of his cousin, Miss Catherine Jones, painted around 1740.

The Renaissance period, a time of new ideas and art, began in Wales around 1400. Much of the art created then was for churches. For example, Strata Florida Abbey still has some of its decorated medieval tiles.

Surviving Church Art

Even though a lot of art was destroyed during the Reformation, some Welsh churches still have pieces of medieval stained glass. You can see these in places like All Saints' Church, Gresford and St David's Cathedral.

Fifteenth-century wall paintings have also been found in several Welsh churches. These include St Cadoc's Church in Llancarfan and St Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major. The paintings at Llancarfan are considered some of the best in Wales.

Grand Houses and Portraits

Plas Mawr in Conwy is a grand Elizabethan house built in the 1500s. It has been carefully restored to show how it looked back then. Wales also has many country houses from different periods. These often contain beautiful portraits, though most were painted in London or other European cities.

Welsh Portraits: Capturing Faces

portraiture (the art of painting portraits) was not very common in Wales during medieval times. Wealthy Welsh people usually traveled to London to have their pictures painted. Many of these portraits are still in Welsh collections today.

One famous Welsh woman, Katheryn of Berain, was painted by a Dutch artist named Adriaen van Cronenburgh. She was known as "Mam Gymru" (Mother of Wales) because of her many family connections.

William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (died 1570), was one of the first Welsh noblemen to collect many paintings. His portrait, from the 1560s, is in the National Museum of Wales.

Later, Welsh artists like William Roos and Hugh Hughes started to paint portraits. Roos's portrait of preacher Christmas Evans (1835) and Hughes's portrait of William Jenkins Rees (1826) are both in the National Museum of Wales.

Painting the Welsh Landscape

Snowdon from Llyn Nantlle, painted around 1766 by Richard Wilson.

For a long time, Welsh artists often had to leave Wales to find work. But in the 1700s, landscape art became very popular in England. This encouraged artists to stay in Wales and also brought many artists from outside to paint its beautiful scenery. Wales became a popular place for artists even before other famous spots like the English Lake District.

Pioneering Landscape Artists

Richard Wilson (1714–1782) is considered one of the first great British landscape painters. While he painted many scenes in Italy, he also created beautiful Welsh landscapes during his visits home.

His student, Thomas Jones (1742–1803), is more famous today than he was in his own time. His painting The Bard (1774) shows a mix of Welsh history and the new Romantic style.

Inspired by Mountains and Nature

Many visiting artists were drawn to Wales' dramatic mountains. This was partly due to a new interest in the "sublime," a feeling of awe and wonder inspired by wild nature. Early paintings often showed Welsh mountains in a dramatic, almost wild style.

A Welsh Sunset River Landscape by Paul Sandby, showing rather better weather than most "sublime" landscapes.

By the 1770s, many guidebooks were published, encouraging people to explore Wales. Paul Sandby visited Wales in 1770 and later published a series of aquatints (a type of print) showing Welsh views. These prints were very popular and helped artists earn money.

Capturing Welsh Life and Scenery

Joseph Wright of Derby, Landscape near Beddgelert, North Wales, painted around 1790–95.

Artists like Julius Caesar Ibbetson often visited Wales. His painting Phaeton in a Thunderstorm (1798) shows a carriage struggling on a mountain road. Ibbetson also painted scenes of the Welsh Industrial Revolution and everyday Welsh life.

North Wales was especially popular. Young watercolour artists like John Sell Cotman made sketching tours there in the early 1800s. Other artists, including David Cox, also spent much time painting in Wales.

The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars made it hard to travel in Europe. This meant more artists visited Wales and other parts of Britain. The young J. M. W. Turner made several tours of Wales in the 1790s. Many of his important early works, like his views of Caernarvon Castle, were inspired by these trips.

Growing Art in Wales

David Cox, A Welsh Funeral, painted around 1850.

It was hard for artists to make a living in Wales until the 1900s. In 1851, only 136 people in Wales called themselves "artists." To help, the Cardiff School of Art opened in 1865, and other art schools followed.

However, many art school graduates still had to leave Wales to find work. Meanwhile, famous artists from other places continued to visit Wales. David Cox, an English landscape painter, spent many summers in Betws-y-Coed, a popular spot for artists.

Welsh Artists and Groups Emerge

Mansel Lewis, Snowdonia.

While landscapes remained popular, some Welsh artists, like Charles William Mansel Lewis, also painted ordinary working people. The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art was formed in 1881 by a group of artists, including those from the "Betws-y-Coed artist's colony." It became a place for artists to show their work.

Many Welsh sculptors, like John Evan Thomas and Sir William Goscombe John, created works for Wales even if they lived in London. Christopher Williams (1873–1934) focused on Welsh subjects, though he was based in London.

Some of the most famous Welsh-born painters were Augustus John and his sister Gwen John. They mostly lived in London and Paris. However, landscape painters like Sir Kyffin Williams (1918–2006) and Peter Prendergast (1946–2007) lived in Wales for most of their lives.

After World War II, the art scene in Wales improved. New art groups appeared, like The South Wales Group (established in 1948, now The Welsh Group) and the 56 Group Wales (1956). These groups helped promote Welsh art. In the industrial valleys, the Dowlais Settlement offered art classes, and the Rhondda Group formed in the 1950s. Later, in the 1970s, Beca was a radical Welsh art group that used different art forms to explore language and environmental issues.

Decorative Arts in Wales

A Swansea porcelain plate, made around 1817.

South Wales was home to several important potteries in the late 1700s and 1800s. The Cambrian Pottery in Swansea made beautiful items. Nantgarw Pottery, near Cardiff, was famous for its fine porcelain decorated with flowers.

Even though Wales had mines that produced silver and gold, there wasn't much silversmithing done there. Wealthy Welsh families usually had their silver made in English cities.

The Arts and Crafts Movement

Workmen at Hayes Pottery, Buckley, Wales (c. 1910).

The Arts and Crafts movement (around 1880–1920) was all about celebrating local traditions and handmade items. This movement helped Welsh art become more unique. It valued applied arts (like pottery and furniture) as much as fine art. It also encouraged using local materials and traditional ways of making things.

In Wales, many traditional crafts still existed. For example, the Ewenny Pottery had been making pottery since the 1600s. The Arts and Crafts movement helped people appreciate the unique, heavy salt glazes used by these local craftspeople.

Owen Morgan Edwards was a key supporter of the Arts and Crafts movement in Wales. He believed that art education was important for renewing Welsh pride and connecting people to their language and history.

In architecture, Clough Williams-Ellis wanted to bring back interest in old building methods. In 1925, he started building his most famous creation, the village of Portmeirion. This village is a beautiful mix of different architectural styles. His daughter, Susan Williams-Ellis, later founded the Portmeirion Pottery.

Contemporary Welsh Art Today

Today, artists in Wales create a wide variety of contemporary art. Groups like The Welsh Group, the 56 Group Wales, and the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art showcase diverse styles.

You can find Abstract Art by artists like Brendan Stuart Burns, or expressive, modern figurative art by Shani Rhys James. Some artists, like Iwan Bala, create politically charged work, while others, like Ken Elias, make Pop Art. Welsh contemporary art is known for its variety. However, the beautiful Welsh landscape is still a very popular subject in galleries, painted in styles from abstract to traditional.

Conceptual Art in Wales

B for Defiance by David Garner.

Conceptual art, which focuses on ideas rather than just the finished object, is also strong in Wales. Artists like Bedwyr Williams and David Garner create and show their work in Wales and internationally. Performance artists, like the group TRACE, are also active.

Several Welsh galleries focus on conceptual art, including Mostyn in North Wales and Chapter Arts Centre in South Wales. The Gold Medal at 'Y Lle Celf' in the National Eisteddfod of Wales has increasingly recognized conceptual and installation work.

Artes Mundi and Wales at the Venice Biennale

Since 2003, the Artes Mundi art prize has been held every two years at the National Museum Cardiff. It's the biggest art prize in the United Kingdom, offering £40,000 to the winner. While it includes artists using traditional media, the focus is often on conceptual approaches.

Also in 2003, Wales began taking part in the Venice Biennale, a major international art exhibition. Wales has continued to show work by conceptual Welsh artists there, including John Cale in 2009 and Bedwyr Williams in 2013.

Welsh Artists

Here is a selected list of notable Welsh artists:

Barry Flanagan, (1941–2009), sculptor
John Gibson, (1790–1866), sculptor
Nina Hamnett (1890–1956), painter
Augustus John (1878–1961), painter
Gwen John (1876–1939), painter
Sir William Goscombe John (1860–1952), sculptor
David Jones (1895–1974), artist and poet
Thomas Jones (1742–1803), painter
Ceri Richards (1903–1971), painter
Andrew Vicari (1938–2016), painter
Kyffin Williams (1918–2006), painter
Richard Wilson (1714–1782), painter