SIR KYFFIN WILLIAMS, R.A. (1918-2006)

'I knew that it was essential for me to go out onto the hills and mountains in all weathers and paint simply what I saw in front of me, trying to master the tones and putting down as nearly as possible the colours that I saw in front of me. I found that I was able to do this when the rain poured down and turned my paint into a sort of putty and also when it was below freezing point for, gloveless, I found my hands were warmer when I finished a picture than they were when I started it' (Sir Kyffin Williams quoted in exhibition catalogue, Landscapes, Llangefni, Oriel Ynys Môn, 1995, p. 10).

Born on the island of Anglesey, Williams returned to Wales after his years in the army and teaching art in London. His love for his birthplace is evident in the present work. This is a place in which man had little option but to live in relation to the land. The half-hidden house and winding path are tucked in amongst the natural undulations of the landscape. Williams' handling of the thick paint applied copiously with a palette knife and brush marks reveals his obligation to remain loyal not to an academic, truthful analysis of the landscape, but to the reality that lies beneath merely 'copying' its physical traits. His use of a rich, earthy palette adds to this, creating an alluring and moody atmosphere.