Biography

David Jones was born in Kent to Welsh parents. He studied at Camberwell School of Art in London before carrying out military service on the Western Front during the First World War. On his return he studied at the Westminster School of Art and lived with the sculptor Eric Gill and his family at Ditchling in Sussex. Like Paul Nash and John Piper, Jones’ art has a strong connection with ancient history and the land. He was influenced by Welsh folklore and literature as well as his own Catholic faith. Jones produced distinctive, delicate pen and pencil drawings with transparent washes. His paintings also combine words and images in the tradition of William Blake and the medieval illuminators of illustrated manuscripts.