On Gwen John: Alicia Foster and Claudia Tobin in conversation

Autumn Term, sees the return of the Royal Drawing School's Creative Conversations; dialogues between artists, curators and writers. Curated by Dr Claudia Tobin, lectures are held on Wednesday evenings.

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Join Alicia Foster, author of the recent acclaimed critical biography of Gwen John (Thames & Hudson) and curator of the accompanying exhibition at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester and Holburne Gallery, Bath, in conversation with Claudia Tobin. Demolishing the myth of the recluse which has often cut Gwen John (1876-1939) off from the art worlds of London and Paris she was part of, Foster has told a story of connection rather than isolation in her writing and curation, creating a fresh, more nuanced and deeper understanding of John’s art and life. In discussion, the significance of John’s work and life story in her day, and ours, will be explored and discussed. 

Gwen John, Self-portrait, sketching, c.1909. Pencil and gouache, 24.1.16.1 cm (9 1/2 x 6 3/8 in). Copyright, The Estate of Gwen John. Private collection, courtesy Patrick Bourne Gallery. 

Dr Alicia Foster is an art historian, curator and novelist. Previous books include: Gwen John (Tate, 1999), the first complete survey of women artists in Tate collections Tate Women Artists (Tate, 2004), and Nina Hamnett (Eiderdown, 2021). She curated the first museum show of Jessica Dismorr’s work, Radical Women, in 2019, and wrote the critically praised catalogue. Her novel Warpaint was published by Penguin in 2013 and tells the story of four women artists employed by the British government in 1942–3 making official war art and black propaganda. Her new critical biography Gwen John, Art and Life in London and Paris (Thames & Hudson) is published this May to accompany a major exhibition at Pallant House.    

Dr Claudia Tobin is a writer, curator, and art historian specialising in modern and contemporary literature and visual cultures. She has contributed to major exhibitions and projects at the National Portrait Gallery, London and Tate Gallery exploring the relationship between writers and artists. Her recent book publications include a collection of Virginia Woolf's art writings, Oh, to be a Painter! (2021), and Modernism and Still Life: Artists, Writers, Dancers (2020). In collaboration with the Royal Drawing School, she co-edited Ways of Drawing: Artists’ Perspectives and Practices (2019).  She teaches English literature and visual cultures at Cambridge University and is a Senior Research Associate at the Intellectual Forum, Jesus College Cambridge. 

Cover image: Gwen John, Autoportrait a la lettre, (Self-portrait with a letter), c.1907-9. Watercolour and graphite on paper, 22.3 x 16.1 cm (8 7/8 x 6 3/8 in). Copyright, The Estate of Gwen John. Musee Rodin.

Please note this Autumn Term the majority of lectures will take place in-person at the School, please check the individual event listings for details.