A new app has been launched to coincide with Women's International Day, aimed at celebrating and highlighting the work of Tenby artist Gwen John.

Gwen (1876-1939) is today a much acclaimed British painter associated with the first half of the 20th century. Schooled at the Slade in London and in Paris, where she studied for a year under Whistler, her formal economy and restricted palette of luminous browns, powdery blues and subtle greys resonate with our contemporary sensibility.

Much has been written about her life and her work. Gwen left Tenby as a young girl against her father's wishes. She travelled to Paris to be an artist and to live independently - it's fair to say that she was a bold and daring lady at the end of the 19th Century.

When Gwen was only eight-years-old her mother passed away and the family moved from Haverfordwest to Tenby. There are many letters showing this to be a difficult time for Gwen and her family, and suggesting that her dad was a cold and distant man.

It's no surprise that Gwen's interest in art and painting offered an escape from this unhappy reality, and as soon as she could, Gwen followed her brother Augustus to the Slade School of Fine Art in London, where she received much praise for her work.

After she'd graduated, Gwen moved to live with friends in Mont Parnasse in the heart of Paris, a mecca for young artists at that time. Augustus John encouraged his sister to offer her services as a model to the world famous sculptor, Rodin, who had a studio there.

From the moment she met him, Gwen fell madly in love with Rodin, and that all-consuming love affair along with her passion for art took over her life for many years.

The +Archive: Gwen John app is the second created by Swansea University’s Dr Ana-Maria Herman in a series called +Archive featuring women artists who have not had the same renown as their male contemporaries.

Dr Herman, senior Lecturer in Multi-Media Design and Creative Industries Production in the School of Culture and Communication, said: “The main aim of the series is to promote the work of women artists that have been historically under-represented in the art world broadly speaking.”

Launched to coincide with Women's International Day, the app has seen Dr Herman bringing together a creative team to feature the works of Pembrokeshire-born Gwen John (1876-1939).

It features 37 images of Gwen’s artworks as well as two photographs illustrating intimate aspects of her life. Curated by Steph Roberts, a freelancer based in Wales, the app explores Gwen's life and work through eight rooms that each shine a light her struggles, techniques and achievements as an artist.

This release follows on from Dr Herman’s first project in 2020, the +Archive: Dorothy Mead app which provided a biographical view into the life and work of mid-20th century artist Dorothy Mead (1928-1975).

This free app featured 17 of Mead’s oil and acrylic paintings and one charcoal drawing, and offered a zoom-in function, allowing users to take a closer look at each artwork.

The pieces displayed formed part of the A David Bomberg Legacy – The Sarah Rose Collection held in a storage archive at London South Bank University and was curated by Theresa Kneppers.

Dr Herman added: “Both Dorothy Mead and Gwen John were accomplished artists but were historically overlooked when compared to their male contemporaries.

“Dorothy Mead’s contemporary, David Bomberg, was often awarded more attention and is still afforded important exhibitions while Gwen John's brother, Augustus is still better known in the art world.

“These apps respond to these imbalances and bring attention to both the historical issues of representation and the longstanding contributions of women's art.”

Both apps are free and available to download now from the App store.