James Dickson Innes (1887-1914)

James Dickson Innes (1887-1914) was a Welsh painter who is best known for his Post-Impressionist landscape paintings of Wales. His burgeoning artistic career was tragically cut short by his death aged 27 from TB, but his output of paintings was nevertheless prolific. This is the first book to provide an overview of his art and life and is published to coincide with an exhibition at the National Museum Wales marking the centenary of his death.

Innes was born in South Wales and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London, from 1905 to 1908, where he met fellow artist Derwent Lees. In 1907 he began a friendship with Augustus John, and with John and Lees Innes wandered over a remote and unfashionable part of North Wales in pursuit of a romantic freedom. He also made several trips abroad in order to paint, most importantly to Collioure, France, in 1908 and 1911.

This new book, which incorporates a catalogue of all his known works, provides Innes’ growing following of collectors with a definitive source of reference on his work. The scope of the book, while providing an analysis of Innes’ stylistic developments, also touches upon, and illustrates, the work of some of his close friends and collaborators, Derwent Lees, Albert Rutherston, John Fothergill and Augustus John. Through the inclusion of accounts of Innes by his male contemporaries, a picture of his personality and his industry is revealed as well as their sense of loss at his early death at the age of 27.