Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Hwfa Môn was the name taken by the Anglesey-born poet and independent minister, Rowland Williams (1823-1905), when he was invested as a Bard in 1849. In 1894 he was elected Archdruid, head of the Gorsedd of Bards. Originally from Bavaria, Herkomer settled in Britain and had a lifelong loyalty to Wales. He much admired the bardic traditions and was closely involved in the National Eisteddfod of Wales, the annual festival of Welsh culture, over which the Gorsedd presided. This interest may have been sparked by his second and third wives, the sisters Lulu and Margaret Griffiths, who were Welsh.

This portrait was made during the 1895 Eisteddfod at Llanelli at which Herkomer awarded the prizes in the art section. He wrote a short article in The Graphic following his visit, in which he objected to the costumes of the Gorsedd. He thought they needed 'overhauling' and could be made 'not only picturesque but archaeologically correct'. He subsequently designed new ones, which were used at the 1897 Newport Eisteddfod. This drawing was reproduced as a lithograph to accompany The Graphic article. Herkomer also produced an extraordinary finished watercolour of the same sitter, which is now in the Forbes Magazine collection, New York.

An 1894 photograph shows the Archdruid (Clwydfardd) wearing the mitre worn by Hwfa Mon in this drawing. HM appears in another photograph in the same old costume at Llandudno National Eisteddfod in 1896. The new costume designed by Herkomer was first worn by HM in the proclomation ceremony for the Newport National Eisteddfod, August 1896.

NMWA 3708 was reproduced as a lithograph in`The Graphic', 10 August 1895, p. 160, the opposite page (161) reproduces another Herkomer portrait of "Gurnos" Jones, conductor of the Welsh Eisteddfod.

Hubert von Herkomer, `Hwfa Mon, Archdruid of Wales' 1896, watercolour, Forbes Magazine Collection, New York (P79177-W), in a white and gold frame designed by the artist.

Source: Victorian Visions 2004-05 catalogue entry by Beth McIntyre