Work by late Primrose Hill painter raises funds for local church

Jean Jones: Painter on the Hill opens on October 25 at St Mary's Primrose Hill with proceeds going towards their £1.5 million Grow The Wonder campaign to improve facilities for their congregation and community work.

Trees in Blossom on Primrose Hill 1989 by Jean Jones (Image: KEITH BARNES)

It's the late painter's first London show in over two decades, and features previously unseen pictures of the three significant places in her life: Primrose Hill, Oxford and Dartmoor.

Jones, who lived in Primrose Hill from 1991 until her death in 2012, suffered from bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. Twice sectioned, and in and out of clinics, she found painting a place of calm and reflection. Her lyrical, expressionist landscapes are inextricably entwined with the locations she unswervingly painted - capturing the changing light, seasons and her mood.

Jean Jones was also a portrait artist with work including this self portrait from 1980 (Image: Courtesy Estate of Jean Jones)

Born in 1927, Jones studied English at Girton College and married Oxford University's Professor of Poetry John Jones. Living in Oxford with their children Jeremy and Janet she became close friends with the likes of JRR Tolkien, William Golding and Iris Murdoch, who predicted she would one day be as famous as Van Gogh. A 1980 solo show at The Ashmolean was well received, but Jones' promising career never reached its potential.

Jean Jones who died in 2012 often painted en plein air including landscapes near her homes in Primrose Hill, Oxford and Devon (Image: Courtesy of the Jean Jones Estate)

Her mental health, domestic obligations and refusal to pander to artistic fashions led her to fall into obscurity. But she continued to produce an impressive body of work, and felt through close observation she could express her passion for the people and places around her. A staunch believer in plein air painting, she was a regular sight in Oxford's medieval alleys or under Primrose Hill's oaks and is still remembered by locals including Frank Bruno who would pass her on his morning runs.

Although she died in relative obscurity, her estate works to ensure she is not forgotten and to reclaim her place among post-war British artists.

A spokesman said: "Before the Jean Jones Estate began its work in 2019, Jones's paintings had not been publicly displayed since 1999 – her career as an exhibiting artist cut short as a result of her intensifying struggle with bipolar disorder. Whilst some of Jones's paintings were hung in the home of her surviving family, the vast majority were discovered stowed away in corners of her Dartmoor cottage, untouched for years and entirely uncatalogued."

Jean Jones Path Through the Park 1989 (Image: KEITH BARNES)

The estate will make a standalone donation to the church's campaign as well as donating 5 per cent of painting sales and 50 per cent of print and card sales, and a print for a prize draw.

"The Estate is delighted to be able to share Jones's work with the Primrose Hill community in one of the area’s iconic local buildings while helping to raise funds for St Mary’s campaign."

Jean Jones The Painter on The Hill runs October 25-29 at St Mary's Primrose Hill, Elsworthy Road. https://www.jeanjonesestate.com/