Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Turner visited Ewenny Priory during his 1795 tour of south Wales, a young artist at the threshold of what became a brilliant career. He sketched the site, and later created this highly finished watercolour showing the view across the Priory’s south transept, with golden sunlight streaming in through the door and windows. The Priory is being used as a farmyard. There is a woman feeding chickens to the right, a man leading a pig on the left, and a toppled wheelbarrow in the foreground. The painting was shown at the Royal Academy in 1797. One reviewer was moved to write ‘In point of colour and effect this is one of the grandest drawings we have ever seen, and equal to the best pictures of Rembrandt.’Ewenny Priory near Bridgend dates back to the 12th century, and is still standing today. The figure of a knight on the altar tomb at the right of the picture may be Sir Paganus de Turberville of Coity, a 12th century benefactor. Turner enjoyed visiting Wales several times over the first ten years of his career. The country provided the inspiration for some of his most intense and romantic watercolours.