Focus on Landscape at Auvers in the Rain and discuss the Reception.
While he did not find success during his lifetime, van Gogh's work became increasingly coveted after his death. Encouraged by the art dealer Hugh Blaker, Gwendoline Davies purchased Landscape at Auvers in the Rain in 1920 from the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery in Paris for £2,020 (equivalent to £86,449 in 2021). Davies and her sister Margaret inherited a fortune from their grandfather, David Davies, which they dedicated to amassing one of the largest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in Britain during the early twentieth century. Davies brought the painting to Wales, where it was displayed in the music room of her home, Gregynog Hall. Notably, the painting was almost purchased by the Japanese art collector Koyata Yamamoto a short time earlier, connecting to the work's Japonisme elements. The painting was donated to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff as part of Davies's bequest in 1952.
David Davies Japonisme Margaret Gwendoline Davies Bernheim-Jeune Bernheim-Jeune Gallery Impressionist Cardiff Paris Post-Impressionist Hugh Blaker Gregynog Hall National Museum of Wales