James Dickson Innes and Dylan Thomas

Question what is the connection between artist James Dickson Innes and poet Dylan Thomas?

James Dickson Innes 
Innes was a painter, his subject included landscapes, occasionally figure.  He painted in both watercolours and oils. Innes was born 1887, Llanelli.  Educated at Christ College, Brecon. James, then studied afterwards at Carmarthen School of Art, where he won a scholarship to study at the Slade School of Art, London.  His teachers at Slade, included Henry Tonks and P. Wilson Steer.

Augustus John
Walter Sickert

Whilst still studying Innes, exhibited with the New English Art Club, 1907.  The New English Art Club, London was founded 1885 and was the alternative venue to the Royal Academy.  1911, Innes became a member of the Camden Town Group, which had been founded that year and was only active until 1913.  Other members included Walter Sickert who was an influence in Innes’ art, also Augustus John, who became good friends with Innes.

Chenil Gallery, London was the venue for exhibitions, which both Innes and sculptor Eric Gill.  Innes also exhibited at the influential Armory Shaw, in New York city, Chicago and Boston.  An important patron on Innes’s work was Winifred Coombe Tennant.

During 1911 and 1912, both Innes and Augustus John were painting around Arenig Fawr, North Wales.

After Innes had been diagnosed with tuberculosis, he had been prescribed foreign travel, where he travelled Collioure, France, Spain and Morocco. 

Sadly, Innes aged 27 died August 1914, at a nursing home, Swanley, Kent.

Onwe would think, that the answer to this question would be Augustus John.  Yes, correct, but let’s expand the question and look at where some of Innes artwork are.

Tryweryn Valley, 1911 is at Parc Howard Museum, Llanelli.

Parc Howard Museum,
Llanelli
Parc Howard was the estate of the Stepney family, after the lands which total 24 acres were originally the home during 1559 to Alban Stepney, who married into the family of Richard Davies, Bishop of St. David’s.

1911, Llanelli Urban Council, were looking to purchase Parc Howard for development for both a civic park and museum.  The property by this time was in need in extensive renovation and modernisation, sadly at this time the council couldn’t afford the property and restoration.  However, January 1912, the Council signed a 999-year lease.

Sir Arthur Cowell-Stepney was a Member of Parliament from 1886 until 1892.  He was elected after John Jenkins who had been the MP for Carmarthen since 1882 and joined the Liberal Unionist party in opposition to Home Rule for Ireland.   

Cowell-Stepney he been found dead at a railway station at Yuma, Arizona during 1909.  Parc Howard was inherited by his daughter, Katherine Meriel Cowell-Stepney.

Katherine became the second wife of Sir Stafford Howard, the Liberal politician and magistrate.  They were to have a daughter, Margaret Catherine Howard, born 1913.   She in later life became good friends and patron of Dylan Thomas. Margaret died 1953 aged 40.

There is so much that has been written about Dylan Thomas.

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