National Library of Wales - Thomas Jones Pencerrig Exhibition

Hafod sketchbook

This little sketchbook contains all that remains of Thomas Jones's visit to Hafod in 1786. It also includes some landscapes in Radnorshire and a group of drawings taken at Pencerrig in 1792.

The Hafod drawings are particularly interesting because they concentrate solely on the grounds and woodlands with no views of the house or the gardens. In 1807 just before the tragic fire at Hafod, the Hafod Press published a single sheet catalogue of the art collection. It records that in the Passage towards the Pessaro Library hung 'Four small views in the grounds of Hafod by Jones'. These pictures were amongst the many works destroyed in the fire, but it is significant that Johnes noted that they were of the grounds alone.

The drawings show Jones's beautiful shorthand notes in pencil for creating effective and yet simple finished works. He could work up from these drawings to full scale compositions without further reference to the landscape. His observation, especially of trees, is unsurpassed in Welsh landscape at that date. He combines an evident love for natural landscape with a highly sophisticated style of drawing.

The sketchbook is an example of Jones's gift for bringing to life pure landscape without any historical associations. Jones could accomplish both the grand vision and the straightforward depictions of beauty using only nature itself as the subject.