Dylan Thomas painting bought by National Gallery
A PAINTING of a young Dylan Thomas has been saved for the nation after being bought by the National Portrait Gallery in London for more than £200,000.
The portrait of the Welsh poet, who died aged 39, shows him at the age of just 23 when he was painted by renowned artist Augustus John.
John wrote of Dylan: “We frequently met … I got him to sit for me twice, the second portrait being the more successful. Provided with a bottle of beer he sat very patiently.”
National Portrait Gallery director Dr Nicholas Cullinan said: “We are delighted to have acquired one of the finest known portraits of Dylan Thomas, representing the Welsh poet at the peak of his literary career.”
The portrait was purchased for £214,750 by the National Portrait Gallery with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund and The Thompson Family Foundation.
The “striking” portrait of Thomas has been on permanent display at the National Portrait Gallery in London for 20 years.
It will now travel to the late poet’s home town of Swansea where it will be go on show with an image of his wife Caitlin Macnamara at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea.
The portrait will now go on loan to the Swansea gallery in 2019 as part of a project to send 50 portraits from the gallery’s national collection to the places with which they are most closely associated.
Jenni Spencer-Davies, curator at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, said: “Coming Home has a special resonance not only for the poet returning to his home town, Swansea, but he will also be joining the Portrait of Caitlin who became his wife at this time in 1937. We are incredibly grateful to the National Portrait Gallery for bringing Dylan and Caitlin back together, captured at this special moment in time by Augustus John.”