The Wild Men of Arenig
James Dickson Innes | Augustus John | Derwent Lees
Introducing the Wild Men
For periods of time between 1910 and 1913, the artists James Dickson Innes and Augustus John, and occasionally Derwent Lees, formed an artistic community in the Arenig valley in North Wales. Together they produced radical landscape paintings that transformed the visual language of Welsh art.
The artists and the wider community that grew around them all met through their time at The Slade School of Art, London and association with the Camden Town Group and Friday Club. These groups shared an interest in the work of the Post-Impressionist artists working across Europe such as Matisse and Picasso. They wanted to paint to convey feelings rather than reality.
Innes and John were both fascinated by Gypsy communities and their lifestyle. Innes grew-up close to the encampment at Furnace Pond and on visits back to Llanelli would spend time there. The artists developed a lifestyle at Arenig that challenged traditional values. The intensity of their relationships and love affairs can be felt in the paintings they produced.
"I came specifically for The Wild Men of Arenig. It did not disappoint. Just amazing to see some of J.D. Innes' work alongside Augustus John and Derwent Lees."
Lesley, Swanley, August 2026
