Say Cheese! – Portraits of the Welsh

Fri, 05 Feb 10 15:53:00

The Official Launch of Say Cheese! – Portraits of the Welsh will be held on Friday evening 12 February 2010 in the company of the popular television presenter, singer and farmer, Dai Jones, Llanilar. There will also be the added bonus of the well-known Cardiff cartoonists, ‘Picasso’ Griffiths, at hand to draw the portrait of anyone who wishes on site. 

 

Say Cheese will be held between 1 February and 19 June at the National Library’s splendid Gregynog Gallery and will be full of portraits of Welsh people – past and present. It will be a very special opportunity to see some of the most iconic faces from the National Library’s vast art collection.

 

The Library is home to the largest collection of Welsh portraits in the world and includes tens of thousands of images in a wide range of media, from photographs to drawings, engravings and framed works of art.

 

In the words of our national anthem, the exhibition is full of portraits of ‘bards and singers and people of renown’. Among them are portraits of famous sportsmen and women including the world champion boxer from Newbridge in Gwent, Joe Calzaghe; the rugby players, Barry John and Ieuan Evans and the Olympic athlete, Tanni Grey-Thompson.

 

There is also a collection of early Vanity Fair cartoons; a portrait of one-eyed Christmas Evans the Welsh Nonconformist minister; Griff Rhys Jones, and well-known television presenter and singer, Mary Hopkin.

 

Wales’s contribution to the political world is also recognised with portraits of David Lloyd George, Aneurin Bevan, Gwynfor Evans and Neil Kinnock … and Dai Jones.

 

 

Say Cheese! – Portraits of the Welsh Official Opening

18:30 Friday 12 February 2010

 

Say Cheese! – Portraits of the Welsh Exhibition

1 February – 19 June 2010

 

Further information

Siôn Jobbins, NLW Press Office: 01970 632 902  post@llgc.org.uk

 

If you would like to attend the official opening, RSVP to Sian.Henson@llgc.org.uk or 01970 632 545