Celebrated artist famed for illustrations of Mabinogion remembered

Stephen Price

Margaret Jones, the celebrated artist famed for her depictions of characters from Welsh myth and legend has passed away at the age of 105.

Margaret Jones’ artwork is synonymous with the Mabinogi and its stories, having created a map that has adorned many a Welsh classroom and home.

She has been described as ‘the finest illustrator and visual storyteller Wales has ever known’.

During her lifetime, she illustrated many of Wales’ folk stories, helping to preserve and promote them for future generations.

Margaret Jones was born in England, and married a Welsh Presbytarian minister. She spent the first part of her married life in India.

After this period, her husband was appointed a lecturer in Religious Studies at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Margaret Jones has been a pivotal figure in Welsh visual arts, and her depictions have played a significant role in defining the visual mythology of Wales.

Her works, characterised by their vivid imagination and intricate details, have captivated audiences young and old, bringing the rich tapestry of Welsh folklore to life.

Known to her friends as Peggy, Margaret Jones started painting professionally at 60 and became very well known and successful for her illustration of Welsh myths and stories.

“Intimate connection”

Peter Stevenson writes: “Her understanding of folk tales and their intimate connection to the Welsh landscape runs through her work, yet she was already in her early 60s when her first book was published, having spent her early life raising 6 children with her husband Basil and performing puppet shows and shadow theatres in schools and halls from India to Ceredigion.

“Her memory was remarkable, and she was still reciting long poems and remembering stories behind her paintings until as recently as a few weeks ago.”

In a previous tribute to Jones, Michael Harvey described her work as, “in the cannon of great illustrators who emerged when print technology allowed the cheap reproduction of full colour images.

“These included such names as Arthur Rackham, Tove Jansson, Maurice Sendak and Lotte Reiniger as well as contemporary Welsh illustrators and artists like Maria Hayes, Valeriane Leblond and Jac Jones.

He added: “One of the really inspiring things about Margaret Jones’ career is that, although she had been honing her craft since childhood, she didn’t start illustrating professionally until she was in her sixties.

“I am a great believer in the slow creative burn and some of my most satisfying projects have been years in the making. So, in this age of frantic attention getting, it is great to see an artist who was able to wait for the right moment before letting her work take its place in the world.”

Legacy

Sharing the news on Facebook, Peter Stevenson said: “She has left so many stories and memories which will live forever.

“It’s been a privilege to know her, and my thoughts go out to Gareth, Elaine, Malcolm, Chris, Mark and Peggy’s many grandchildren.”

Jones’ legacy is cemented in Welsh history, with tributes pouring in from many of her admirers.

Harriet Earis wrote: “I loved her Mabinogi and Welsh folk tale pictures too and they definitely influenced me to do a degree in Celtic Studies! I still have her Welsh maps on my wall.”

Sue Davis added: “Her wonderful work will live on forever and inspire present and future generations to easily access and fall in love with our unique Welsh cultural storytelling heritage that is the Mabinogi.”

Book and poster relaunch

A much-loved collection of Welsh folk stories has been republished this year, featuring illustrations by Margaret Jones along with her iconic poster which was commissioned at the time of the book’s initial launch.

Welsh Folk Tales by Robin Gwyndaf (Y Lolfa) was originally published by the National Museum of Wales in 1989 and is an important record of the folk narrative tradition in Wales.

Welsh Folk Tales records 63 stories from all over Wales, including ‘The islands of saints’ from Ynys Enlli, ‘The eagles of Snowdon’ from Caernarfonshire, ‘Owain Glyndŵr and the Abbot of Valle Crucis’ from Denbighshire and ‘The death of “Llywelyn our Last Prince”’ from Brecknockshire.

Only necessary changes have been made to the text, and the wonderful illustrations, now in colour, by Margaret Jones, still shine in the volume.

Jones was commissioned by the National Museum of Wales in 1988 to illustrate a map featuring the folk tales and traditions of Wales, to be published at the same time as the first edition of the book.

The book: Welsh Folk Tales by Robin Gwyndaf (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now. (Welsh language edition also available).

The A2 poster: Welsh Folk Tales by artist Margaret D. Jones, and Robin Gwyndaf, researcher and designer, (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is also available now.