Welsh Madonna / Madonna Gymreig

2013

Auntie Jennie was my aunt and the inspiration behind the Welsh Madonna.

She lived in the old family home ‘Castle’ at the bottom of the village close to the parish church. Her husband, Uncle John was a renowned motor mechanic, part time fireman, church warden and a gifted amateur historian.

As children we were expected to visit and it was routine to call in before Sunday school.  My memories are of her sitting in the armchair in front of the fire in the small dark kitchen. She was a large lady, invariably wearing her slippers and an apron. The kettle was always on the boil and the only source of daylight was a small window with net curtains. A bedraggled goldfinch lived in a small cage on the kitchen table.
She hardly ventured past the front door where she would converse with passers by, gathering the village gossip whilst polishing the brass step and letterbox.

The idea of the painting came about when I started improvising with the art historical Madonna and Child motif and using it in a Welsh context.  It was shaped by a memory of Auntie Jennie bouncing me on her knee when I was very young.  I substituted the child for a vicar to reflect my aunt’s reverence for any minister of religion and to show the significance of the part played by the church in her life.

Share it