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Gwen John (1876-1939) was a Welsh artist.

She was born in Haverfordwest, Wales.  Like her
brother, Augustus John, Gwen studied at the Slade
School of Art (1895-98). She worked briefly in
Paris with James Whistler and began to exhibit her
work in London in 1899. In 1906, she began
modelling for the sculptor Auguste Rodin in Paris,
where she then lived, and became his mistress.

Most of her artwork in later life was small-scale
portraits and still-lifes. Although overshadowed
by her popular brother, many would now say (as
Augustus did) that Gwen was the more talented of
the two, although she did not receive the same
recognition.

Her portraits were generally three-quarter length
females, usually seated, with their hands in their
laps. She also painted many pictures of cats. She
painted slowly and would paint the same picture
repeatedly (much like Claude Monet|Monet and his
series on haystacks). She experimented with
painting with reduced tone, and very subtle
colours, in contrast to her brother's more garish
palette. She sketched woman and children on trains
and in church as well as using a studio model.

An exhibition of Gwen John's and Augustus John's
work was on show at Tate Britain in London. Her
pictures are held all over the world, but there
are good collections in the National Museum &
Gallery, Cardiff|National Gallery of Wales and the
Tate.