BEFORE THE BUILDINGS
Early & Experimental Works
Before the architectural subjects for which his surviving work would later become known, John Rees-Jowett was already experimenting with very different ideas.
Among the earliest works surviving in the archive are these remarkable paintings from 1963, signed simply “John Jowett.”
Rather than buildings, streets and cathedrals, their subjects look upward.
Two early astronomical works, preserved within the John Rees-Jowett archive.
ORION • 1963
One of the earliest known works currently identified within the surviving John Rees-Jowett archive.
Painted in 1963 and signed “John Jowett”, The Swan belongs to the same remarkable early period as Orion, revealing an unexpectedly imaginative side to an artist whose later surviving work would become dominated by architecture, historic buildings and carefully observed places.
The painting presents an atmospheric, almost cosmic composition, dramatically removed from the architectural subjects for which Rees-Jowett would later become known. Its unusual forms, colour and astronomical title suggest an artist experimenting with subjects and visual ideas far beyond the built environment.
Preserved alongside Orion, also dated 1963, The Swan provides another fascinating glimpse into this little-understood early period of John Rees-Jowett's artistic development.
Artist: John Jowett / John Rees-Jowett
Title: The Swan
Date: 1963
Medium: To be confirmed
Status: Original artwork • John Rees-Jowett Collection
One of the earliest known works currently identified within the surviving John Rees-Jowett archive.
Painted in 1963 and signed “John Jowett”, Orion reveals a strikingly different side to the artist whose later surviving work would become dominated by architecture, historic buildings and carefully observed places.
The painting presents a mysterious dark form against an atmospheric blue-green landscape and star-filled sky. Its dreamlike, almost otherworldly character stands in remarkable contrast to the precise architectural subjects associated with Rees-Jowett's later work.
Preserved alongside another astronomical work from the same year, The Swan, Orion provides a fascinating glimpse into a much earlier and more experimental period of his artistic life.
Artist: John Jowett / John Rees-Jowett
Title: Orion
Date: 1963
Medium: To be confirmed
Status: Original artwork • John Rees-Jowett Collection
🌌THE SWAN • 1963
🌙 Painted at the Dawn of the Space Age
The Swan was painted in 1963, six years before Apollo 11 reached the Moon, but during a period when humanity's relationship with space was changing rapidly.
By this time, both the United States and Soviet Union were competing intensely in space, and the possibility of humans travelling beyond Earth had moved from science fiction towards reality.
Against this background, Rees-Jowett's choice of astronomical subjects feels particularly intriguing. Orion and The Swan were created during a period when astronomy, exploration and the idea of travelling into space were becoming increasingly present in public consciousness.
Whether these events directly influenced the young artist is unknown. What survives, however, are two unusual early works looking away from the buildings and landscapes that would later dominate his artistic career, and instead looking upward. 🌌