David Jones was a British painter, engraver and modernist poet whose work is celebrated for its depth, complexity and synthesis of visual art and literature. Born in 1895 in Brockley, London, Jones was the son of a Welsh father and an English mother, a heritage that would profoundly influence his creative output throughout his life.
Jones showed an early aptitude for drawing and enrolled at the Camberwell School of Art at the age of 14. There, he studied under Scottish painter A.S. Hartrick, who introduced Jones to the works of the Impressionists and the Pre-Raphaelites. During World War I, Jones served as an infantryman in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. The harrowing experiences of the trenches left a significant mark on the young artist, deeply influencing his art and poetry.
After the war, Jones returned to his studies and became associated with Eric Gill and his guild of Catholic craftsmen at Ditchling, Sussex. There, Jones developed his skills in engraving and became known for his intricate, symbolic works that blended religious and mythological themes with a modernist aesthetic. His paintings and engravings are characterised by their rich detail, use of symbolism and a deep sense of history and spirituality.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Jones began to gain recognition as an important artist. His work often reflected his deep Catholic faith and his fascination with the legends and landscapes of Britain, particularly those of Wales. Influenced by his surroundings, Jones embarked upon a series of depictions of the Crucifixion in 1925. During this period, Jones was also working on a number of small boxwood carvings and the present lot can be interpreted as a hybrid of these carvings and the Crucifixion paintings. His art is noted for its complex layering of images and symbols, reflecting his belief in the interconnectedness of all things.
Jones’s talents were not confined to the realm of visual art; he was also an accomplished poet. His epic poem In Parenthesis (1937), which recounts his experiences in World War I, is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. The poem blends myth, history and personal narrative in a unique modernist style, and earned Jones the Hawthornden Prize in 1938.
David Jones died in 1974 in Harrow, England. His legacy is that of a true polymath, whose contributions to both visual art and literature have left a lasting impact on modernist traditions. His work continues to be studied and admired for its profound complexity, symbolic depth, and the unique way it bridges the worlds of art and poetry.
DAVID JONES, C.H. (1895-1974)
Ex Devina Pulchritudine
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
The Necklace and the Calix
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Crucifix for the Chapel at Pigott's, High Wycombe
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Doors of Glass
David Jones (1895-1974)
Interior with view through a window
David Jones (1895-1974)
Out Tide
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Chalice with Flowers
DAVID JONES, C.H. (1895-1974)
St. Dominic
DAVID JONES, C.H. (1895-1974)
Cath Gartref
David Jones (1895-1974)
Cattle and Horses
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Saliés-de-Béarn, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
David Jones (1895-1974)
Petra
DAVID JONES, C.H. (1895-1974)
Cat Asleep
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Landscape at Saliés-de-Béarn, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
David Jones (1895-1974)
The Crucifixion
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Flowers and Tea-cup
David Jones (1895-1974)
Nant-y-Bwch III ( recto ); Nant-y-Bwch, Capel ( verso )
David Jones, C.H. (Brockley 1895-1974 Harrow)
View towards the river
David Jones (1895-1974)
The Crucifixion
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus and the donkey
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Martyrdom
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Hartlington Hall, Yorkshire
David Jones (1895-1974)
The Sofa
David Jones (1895-1974)
Hic Iacet Arturus (Here Lies Arthur)
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Hosanna in Excelsis
DAVID JONES, C.H. (1895-1974)
The Chester Play of the Deluge: Five plates
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Seated nude woman cross-legged
David Jones, C.H. (Brockley 1895-1974 Harrow)
Leslie Cubitt Bevis
DAVID JONES, C.H. (1895-1974)
Untitled (Flowers with Thorns)
David Jones, C.H. (1895-1974)
Landscape