Welsh Artist lecture in Parc Howard

THE Chair of Carmarthenshire County Council has attended a lecture on Welsh artist Christopher Williams of Llandybie.

Cllr Siân Thomas said the lecture in Parc Howard, Llanelli, was interesting because Christopher Williams was such a good artist but nobody knows of him.

She said: “In my opinion we should put more emphasis on our indigenous art and be proud of it. As Welsh people we put a great emphasis aural art, music,song and poetry, but not enough on the visual arts.”

The lecture was given by Coleg Gŵyr, Gorseinon, history lecturer Dylan Rees. Christopher Williams (1873-1934) rebelled against his father’s plans for him to become a doctor after a visit to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in 1892 which he left determined to become an artist.

In 1911, he received a commission from King George V to work on a commemorative painting of the Investiture of Edward, Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. Among his portraits were those of Rt. Hon. David Lloyd George, Sir John Williams, Sir John Rhys, Sir Henry Jones, Sir John Morris Jones, Dr Stanton Coit, Sir Frederick Mills, John Hinds MP. He painted the first of three portraits of Lloyd George in the summer of 1911. Lloyd George described him as “one of the most gifted artists Wales has produced”.

During the First World War, he painted the Welsh Charge at Mametz Wood, now in the Welsh National Museum.

A major retrospective exhibition of Christopher Williams’ work is being held until September at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

Pictured with a Christopher Williams painting are Llanelli Town Council vice chair Roger Price and his consort Ruth, lecturer Dylan Rees, Carmarthenshire County Council Chair Cllr Siân Thomas and her consort Dafydd, and Llanelli Arts Society chair Colin Robbins.