Will Roberts (Welsh 1907-2000)

Potato Field
signed, titled and dated '1983' to the reverse
oil on canvas
61 x 76cm

Provenance
With 20th century Gallery, London
With John Davies Gallery, Stow-on-the-Wold, where acquired by the present owner in 2000
Private collection, Mallorca

Exhibited
London, The Royal Academy, Summer Exhibition, 1983

One of the founding members of the 56 Group Wales who sought to promote Welsh Modernist Art, Will Roberts is remembered for his expressionistic depictions of Welsh agricultural, industrial and domestic life.

Born in 1907 in Ruabon, Denbighshire, Roberts demonstrated an aptitude for drawing from an early age. From 1928 until 1932, Roberts took part-time classes at the Swansea School of Art, under the tutelage of William Grant Murray. The most seismic event of his career, however, came several years later when, in 1945, he met Polish artist, Josef Herman, who was living in nearby Ystradgynlais, and whose influence on his work cannot be understated.

The present work, rendered in dark, earthy tones and depicting sturdy, stooped figures, is typical of Roberts’ broader artistic output.

Condition Report

Oil on canvas. The canvas has good tension and the picture is in plane. The paint layers are stable overall. There is a deep score in the paint at the upper left corner. General layer of dust across the surface and the reverse of the canvas is very dusty with cobwebs. The frame is in a good condition.