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Merthyr Blues
A townscape of Merthyr
This painting is a portrait of Merthyr Tydfil in 1956. The style prompts a comparison with popular newspaper cartoons. A woman pushes her pram past the old bus-depot, a man on a ladder pastes up an advertisement for Daz washing powder, whilst dogs behave badly on the street. The local blues singer, who hovers above the town accompanied by the lyrics of her song, offers a sense of hope and salvation to the everyday world below.