Born in the Victorian era, Gwen John defied societal expectations, forging her own path in life and pursuing artistic expression with unwavering determination.

Despite being perceived as reclusive, John was resolute in her pursuit of freedom and creative expression, rejecting the conventions that constrained women of her time.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of her birth, a major retrospective of John's work is being held in Cardiff, bringing together pieces from the UK and the USA for the first time in a comprehensive exhibition.

A BBC documentary, Keeping the World Away: Finding Gwen John, has been produced to coincide with the exhibition, shedding new light on the artist's life and work.

According to Lucy Wood, curator of Gwen John: Strange Beauties, the National Museum Cardiff acquired a substantial collection of John's works in 1976, which has only recently been thoroughly researched and exhibited.

John was born in 1876 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, as one of four siblings, including her younger brother Augustus, who would also become an artist.

During their lifetimes, Augustus John was widely regarded as one of the most prominent artists in Britain, overshadowing his sister's work.

However, as curator Lucy Wood observes, attitudes towards Gwen John have shifted over time, with Augustus John himself once remarking that he would eventually be known as Gwen John's brother.

This prediction appears to have come to fruition, as Gwen John's reputation as a significant artist continues to grow.

French-American author Lauren Elkin notes that a mythology surrounding John's life portrayed her as a reclusive spinster, rarely leaving her home and devoting herself to painting.

This image was perpetuated by a book written by Augustus John after her death, which depicted her as an eccentric, solitary figure living in Paris.

However, biographers have since established that John was, in fact, a highly social and engaged individual, passionate about people and the world around her, and not simply a solitary artist.

Art historian and novelist Alicia Foster describes John as having a strong sense of ambition from a young age, driven to become a great artist and undeterred by obstacles.

Following the death of her mother, Augusta, a talented watercolour painter, when John was just eight years old, her family relocated to Tenby.

In their Tenby home, John's mother's paintings adorned the walls, and John herself had a studio in the attic, where she would often invite local children to pose for portraits.

According to Hannah Saunders, curator of Tenby Museum, John's exposure to her mother's artistic talent likely inspired her own ambitions, as she sought to showcase her abilities to the world.

The loss of their mother had a lasting impact on the lives of all the John siblings.

A rare painting of John's hometown, believed to have been created during her time as a student in London, is now held in the museum's collection.

Biographer Judith Mackrell notes that this painting, which captures the beach at twilight, is tinged with melancholy and features two family groups without fathers, possibly reflecting John's own experiences of emotional absence.

The painting also depicts two young mothers with their children, conveying a sense of idealised care and attention, which Mackrell suggests may be a nod to John's own memories of her mother.

Musician Nicky Wire, a long-time admirer of John's work, recalls that this painting was the first of hers he ever saw.

Wire notes that this piece stands out from John's typical style, which often focused on interior, rather than exterior, scenes.

Inspired by the complex relationship between John and her brother Augustus, Wire wrote a song titled The Secret He Had Missed.

The two siblings had distinctly different approaches to art and its role in life.

According to Wire, while Augustus sought to engage with the world, Gwen John preferred to retreat into her own creative sphere.

Mackrell believes that the death of their mother and the subsequent hardship they faced motivated all the John siblings to pursue their own paths in life.

For Gwen John, this driving factor was the desire to create a new, alternative world, one that differed from the dark, claustrophobic environment of her childhood.

When Augustus John enrolled in the Slade School of Fine Art in London in 1895, Gwen John persuaded her father to allow her to follow in his footsteps the next year.

A self-portrait created during her time at the Slade, now held in the Tate Britain, impressed her tutor Frederick Brown, who purchased the piece and displayed it in his home.

According to Tate curator Thomas Kennedy, this self-portrait was recognised as a masterpiece from the outset of John's career.

After completing her studies at the Slade, John moved to Paris to study under James McNeill Whistler for six months, before returning to England.

In 1903, John and her friend Dorelia McNeill, who was also Augustus John's mistress, embarked on a journey to Rome, but ultimately settled in Paris, which would remain John's home until shortly before her death.

Kennedy suggests that John's desire for recognition as an artist in her own right may have contributed to her decision to leave Britain and establish herself in France.

By doing so, John was able to flourish as an artist, free from the shadow of her more famous brother.

John supported herself as an artist's model, including working with sculptor Auguste Rodin, with whom she had a decade-long, passionate affair, exchanging over 1,000 letters.

Following the end of her affair with Rodin, which concluded before World War I, John channelled her energy into spirituality, embracing Catholicism and being received into the church.

Although Rodin was a significant figure in her life, many of John's other notable relationships were with women.

Biographer Judith Mackrell notes that John's sexuality was a fundamental aspect of her identity, with her earliest relationships being with women, and her affair with Rodin being a notable exception.

Mackrell suggests that John may have viewed Rodin as a unique figure, separate from other men, which may have contributed to the intensity of their relationship.

This complex and multifaceted aspect of John's personality continues to fascinate and inspire those who study her life and work.

Her professional life was gaining momentum, separate from her personal relationships.

The financial backing of American patron John Quinn, from 1911 until his passing in 1924, allowed her to relocate to Meudon, a Parisian suburb, and focus exclusively on her work, which was increasingly shaped by her growing faith.

According to Wood, her art and spirituality were deeply intertwined, as she once stated that "my art and my religion are my whole life", suggesting that these two aspects of her life were closely linked.

She described herself as "God's little artist, a seer of strange beauties, a teller of harmonies, a diligent worker", highlighting her unique perspective and approach to her craft.

The exhibition showcases John's propensity for creating three-quarter portraits of women, often depicted seated and engaged in reading, among other activities.

John's artistic process involved creating multiple iterations of similar subjects, refining her technique through repetition on moderately sized canvases.

During her lifetime, John had a single solo exhibition, which took place in 1926; she left Paris shortly before the onset of World War II and passed away in Dieppe, reportedly while en route to Britain.

Wood noted that the 1970s and 1980s saw a renewed interest in John's work, with a reevaluation of her life and art as embodying the emerging feminist ideals of the early 20th century.

This reexamination led to a shift in perception, from viewing John as a feminine artist to recognizing her as a feminist artist, underscoring her commitment to her craft and personal autonomy.

Elkin observed that John was a woman who deliberately crafted her life to align with her desires, extending beyond her art to her personal choices and independence from societal expectations.

This determination enabled her to forge a path that diverged from traditional norms, eschewing the conventional trappings of married life and family to pursue her own vision.

The exhibition "Gwen John: Strange Beauties" will be on display at the National Museum Cardiff from February 7 to June 28, 2026.