Alwyn,
I found this article which lists the names of the people who posed
for Vosper when he painted Salem.
http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/
Article title: Salem
Periodical: Y Ford Gron. Vol 3. No. 6. April 1933, pages 125 and 144
Author: Einion Evans, Dolgellau
The article lists:
Sian Owen (the main subject), Tyn y fawnog, later Ffordd Groes,
Llanfair.
From left to right:
Robert Williams, Cae Meddyg, man under clock,
Laura Williams, Ty'n y buarth, face partly hidden
Owen Jones, Carleg Coch, man under window
Seated lady, no one in particular. Subject may have been a dummy.
Evan Edward Lloyd, Ty'n yr Aelgarth, Llanberis, young boy seated
Mary Rowlands, Dolgellau, originally from Cefn Cymerau, lady next to
young boy
William Jones, Carleg Coch, nearest to Sian Owen.
The painting took about four months to complete, between June and
September 1908. Individuals were paid 6 pence an hour to pose. Sian
Owen's Paisley shawl was borrowed from a lady in Harlech. The same
hat was worn by all of the ladies.
Responses to the article in May and June 1933 refer to:
- The devil's face in the shawl: a comment attributed to a well-known
artist which was refuted by Vosper,
- William and Owen Jones of Carleg Coch: both "sat" for the painting,
but only one of them appears in the final version.
[With acknowedgements to Welsh Periodicals Online (National Library
of Wales)]
Pob hwyl,
Ken Richards
On Jun 12, 2013, at 12:22 AM, Alwyn ap Huw wrote:
Hello Jim,
The artist was an Englishman, his wife came from Merthyr Tydfil, so
there
are some who have family connections with the artist.
The main local family history interest is that the painting depicts
eight
individuals, all painted from "real life" and all of whom can be
identified.
Many of us have family connections with those individuals who
appear in the
work.
Even if we have no personal family connections the painting is a
snapshot of
the sort of experience that any Welsh ancestor in the 1890's would
have
had - attending chapel on the simplest level, the "warnings" about
"pious
hypocrisy" when one delves deeper into the picture.
Although painted in 1908 in a 1890 style it became popular in the
1930's
when a print was offered as a prize for collecting token's from
bars of
soap. For complicated reasons the 1914-18 war was the beginning of
the end
of Welsh chapel life and this picture captured the last glimpse of
the "Old
Way of Welsh Life" in the same way as "The Hay Wane" is an image of
Olde
England.
In my case the picture portrays a personal family connection, which
I find
exciting in its own right, but more importantly is depicts a wider
family
experience which is much more interesting and exciting.
All the best
Alwyn
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim & Sheila" <jlatimer(a)yahoo.ca>
To: <wls-merionethshire(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 2:52 PM
Subject: Re: [MER] Salem Sydney Curnow Vosper comes home!
I was given a copy of that picture and told that it was on the
walls of
every Welsh home. So, is every Welshman related to the artist?
Jim Latimer, Canada
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