[ Georges Braque; Cubism; Catalogue; extensively annotated in pencil by Welsh Artist, John Bromfield Gay Rees ] Georges Braque. An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings from collections in England: with lithographs 1909-1953

Catalogue, 12 unnumbered pages, illustrations, 16 x 17 cm, front cover (with Braque drawing he has sent specially for use as a poster and on the cover of the catalogue) grubby, staples rusty, ow fair. John Bromfield Gay Rees has covered the inside covers and back cover with rough drawings of what he has seen (2) with colours indicated, and every page of the catalogue including inside covers and back cover, has, usually, a substantial number of notes in his minute hand, giving responses and details. See image. Biography: John Bromfield Gay Rees (1912 – 1965), known to his family and friends as Brom, was a Welsh painter whose work was admired by such eminent figures as Dylan Thomas, Augustus John, William Rothenstein and Eardley Knollys, among others. Introspective and private, he was practically unknown to the general public during his lifetime, and the first majorexhibition devoted solely to his work was in 1989. Born in Llanelli in South Wales, Gay Rees showed an early talent for art; in 1926, aged fourteen, he was sent to the local School of Art and Craft, where he caught the attention of the headmaster D.E.H. Pratt. Under Pratt’s guidance, Gay Rees honed his skills as an artist, and in 1930 he enrolled in the Royal Academy Schools in London. The young painter flourished in his new surroundings, striking up friendships with Alfred Janes and William Scott, and he gained a reputation for his quick intellect and gregarious nature. In 1935, however, he suffered internal haemorrhaging, which consequently brought on a severe nervous disorder and caused the young artist to become increasingly withdrawn and irritable. Gay Rees had been considered one of the most promising artists onthe London scene in the 1930s, but his accident meant he could not return to the RoyalAcademy Schools — despite his best efforts. Though often invited to exhibit his workthereafter, he would almost always reply with the words “I am not ready yet”, and he soonslipped into relative obscurity. He continued to paint for most of the rest of his life, duringwhich he lived in Wales, Bristol and London, but though he was admired and approached toexhibit, he was intransigent.