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SIMPLE PLEASURES
The Independent
|February 06, 2026
Opening 150 years after the artist's birth, 'Strange Beauties', a new exhibition of paintings by Gwen John, celebrates her ability to find loveliness in the ordinary
National Museum Cardiff
Gwen John was about 22 years old when she painted her landlady, Mrs Atkinson, sitting in a room. It's an unassuming portrait – you could even call it ordinary – and therein lies its charm. The floral wallpaper is faded, a hazy wash of chestnut. The papery edges of the drawing tacked to the wall are crumpled and curled, like the petals of days-old flowers in a vase. In her black clothes, Mrs Atkinson is a looming presence; squint, and her triangular form morphs into a shadowy mountain. And those eyes: pale and glassy, ferrying heavy lids and bags, pink-rimmed. Has she been crying? Pressed down onto her lap beneath her hands is a crisp white handkerchief.
This story is from the February 06, 2026 edition of The Independent.
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