Dorelia McNeill
Encyclopedia
Dorothy McNeill (19 December 1881- 23 July 1969) was best known as a model for the Welsh artists Gwen John
and Augustus John
, was the common-law wife of the latter, and has been credited for inspiring "his first unequivocally personal work". In her time she was regarded by some as an examplar of bohemian
fashion.
Dorothy McNeill was born in Camberwell
, the daughter of a clerk and the fourth of seven children. While attending the Westminster School of Art
in 1903 she met Gwen John, who in turn introduced her to her brother Augustus. That year Gwen and McNeill traveled together on foot through France, following the Garonne River. During a stay in Toulouse
Gwen John painted several oils of McNeill, including Dorelia in a Black Dress, before the two proceeded to Paris, where they briefly shared quarters in 1904. McNeill left for Bruges
with a Belgian artist, and was pursued by Augustus, with whom she returned to England. She lived in a ménage à trois
with Augustus John and his wife Ida Nettleship, sometimes as part of a Gypsy caravan that would grow to include John's children by both women. The arrangement lasted until Nettleship's death in 1907, when McNeill became the principal female figure in the John household. Later she had an affair, at Augustus' encouragement, with the painter Henry Lamb
.
McNeill is often described as quiet and enigmatic. In Gwen John's work she appears detached and simply dressed; in Augustus John's art she at times served more exotic purposes, wearing scarves and long dresses, but was also the subject of domestic scenes, including those which show her with Augustus' first wife and their children. It is said that she "made a significant contribution to the 'bohemian utopianism' of the artist's most intensely creative period, c. 1903-1914." Eventually she had two sons and two daughters with Augustus. She lived with him until his death in 1961. Her step grand-daughter was the 1960s bohemian fashion icon Talitha Getty
.
Gwen John
Gwendolen Mary John was a Welsh artist who worked in France for most of her career. She is noted for her still lifes and for her portraits, especially of anonymous female sitters...
and Augustus John
Augustus John
Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a short time around 1910, he was an important exponent of Post-Impressionism in the United Kingdom....
, was the common-law wife of the latter, and has been credited for inspiring "his first unequivocally personal work". In her time she was regarded by some as an examplar of bohemian
Bohemian style
In modern usage, the term "Bohemian" is applied to people who live unconventional, usually artistic, lives. The adherents of the "Bloomsbury Group", which formed around the Stephen sisters, Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf in the early 20th century, are among the best-known examples...
fashion.
Dorothy McNeill was born in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, the daughter of a clerk and the fourth of seven children. While attending the Westminster School of Art
Westminster School of Art
The Westminster School of Art was an art school in Westminster, London. It was located at 18 Tufton Street, Deans Yard, Westminster, and was part of the old Architectural Museum.H. M. Bateman described it in 1903 as...
in 1903 she met Gwen John, who in turn introduced her to her brother Augustus. That year Gwen and McNeill traveled together on foot through France, following the Garonne River. During a stay in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
Gwen John painted several oils of McNeill, including Dorelia in a Black Dress, before the two proceeded to Paris, where they briefly shared quarters in 1904. McNeill left for Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
with a Belgian artist, and was pursued by Augustus, with whom she returned to England. She lived in a ménage à trois
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
with Augustus John and his wife Ida Nettleship, sometimes as part of a Gypsy caravan that would grow to include John's children by both women. The arrangement lasted until Nettleship's death in 1907, when McNeill became the principal female figure in the John household. Later she had an affair, at Augustus' encouragement, with the painter Henry Lamb
Henry Lamb
Henry Taylor Lamb, MC, RA was an Australian-born British painter. A follower of Augustus John, he was a founder member of the Camden Town Group.Born in Adelaide, Australia, he was the son of Sir Horace Lamb FRS...
.
McNeill is often described as quiet and enigmatic. In Gwen John's work she appears detached and simply dressed; in Augustus John's art she at times served more exotic purposes, wearing scarves and long dresses, but was also the subject of domestic scenes, including those which show her with Augustus' first wife and their children. It is said that she "made a significant contribution to the 'bohemian utopianism' of the artist's most intensely creative period, c. 1903-1914." Eventually she had two sons and two daughters with Augustus. She lived with him until his death in 1961. Her step grand-daughter was the 1960s bohemian fashion icon Talitha Getty
Talitha Getty
Talitha Getty was an actress of Dutch extraction, born in the former Dutch East Indies, who was regarded as a style icon of the late 1960s. She lived much of her adult life in Britain and, in her final years, was closely associated with the Moroccan city of Marrakesh...
.