A Young Woman in Blue

The 1910s were artistically productive years for Gwen John. She consistently painted multiple variants of compositions, one of the largest series was the 'girl in blue' series with eight located paintings, including the present work. The sitter, a girl from Meudon where the artist lived, was one of Gwen John's favourite and most frequently used models. She began posing around 1914 and continued until the mid 1920s. In a later series depicting her seated in a chair, often reading a book or a letter or holding a cat in her lap, she is referred to as 'the Convalescent'. The paintings in the 'girl in blue' series vary only very slightly, sometimes a chair is visible and in one the girl's hair falls across her face, but the present work is the only one which features a plain blue dress, rather than one with white spots.

Compositionally undramatic and controlled, the woman sits erect, hands resting simply in her lap. The palette is limited to the blue of the dress, the flesh tones of her face and hands, and the brown of her hair and background. Gwen John was extremely particular about the preparation of her canvases and did the work herself using only a thin layer of prime. Dry chalky pigment was applied to the canvas in small deliberate, rhythmic brushstrokes creating a fresco-like texture. This near-obsessive technique and supreme mastery of tonal range, combined with the intimate domestic subject matter results in a deeply thoughtful portrait.