Acrylic on paper
Peter Prendergast (1946-2007) was widely acknowledged as one of Britain’s foremost landscape artists. Born in Abertridwr in Glamorgan, he grew up near Caerphilly, where his father was a coal miner.
His semi-abstract images reflect the gritty realities of Wales’ industrial landscape. Following his studies at Cardiff College of Art and the Slade School of Art, London, he moved to Bethesda in Gwynedd.
The slate quarries of Bethesda, with their inky grey-black crags, made their way into Prendergast’s most famous paintings. Symbols of industry, the Penrhyn slate quarries and Bethesda village had been established in the 18th century by one Richard Pennant, whose assets included a slave plantation in Jamaica.
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Collection