JOHN PETHERICK
(1788-1861)
A full Moon on 6th October, 1854 over Cefn Cwsc, Kenfig Hill, Glamorgan
Exhibited
John Petherick, 1784-1861, Watercolours from a Family Scrap-Album,
Stephen Somerville and Anthony Reed at Bernheimers, 1989
John Petherick (1784 – 1861) painted in South Wales during the first half of the 19th Century. He was brought up near the Pen-y- Darren ironworks in Merthyr Tydfi. Petherick, unlike most of his contemporaries, was not afraid to depict scenes which showed the impact of the Industrial Revolution. Each watercolour is in excellent condition and each has strong colours. His interpretation of landscape is intensely personal.
An ironworks here was the first to use anthracite to smelt iron successfully in 1837.
There are examples of Petherick’s work in the National Museum in Cardiff and also at the National Library, Aberystwyth.
