Samuel Maurice Jones (1853 - 1932), Artist

Samuel Maurice Jones R.C.A. (1853 – 30 December 1932) was a Welsh landscape painter and illustrator, particularly active in North Wales. Working principally in watercolour, Jones made numerous studies and paintings of the fields near Caernarfon and the Conwy Valley. Many of these rural studies have an idealised, pastoral character suggestive of the English picturesque and Romantic landscape traditions originating in the works of John Constable and developed by J.M.W Turner.

Early Life

Samuel Maurice Jones was born in Mochdre, a coastal village in north-east Wales near Colwyn Bay. His father, Rev. John Jones, was a Calvinistic Methodist minister. Jones was trained first at the Caernarfon School of Art under the tutelage of John Cambrian Rowland and later, in London where he studied under William Collingwood between 1870 and 1873. Collingwood was an Associate of the Society of Painters in Watercolours and offered Jones a thorough and traditional training in the fundamentals of arts education; schooling him in the importance of line and composition, shading, drawing carefully from nature and drawing from memory.

The first entry in the study book documenting his lesson with Collingwood on Monday, 11 April 1870, recalls his teachers' words:

"You must regard your hand as an instrument requiring to be taught how to execute with certainty and freedom, every mental command.'"

While he was in London, Jones met two figures closely associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: the art critic, John Ruskin, and the painter, Holman Hunt, who reviewed and offered constructive criticism of his work. Shortly afterwards Jones returned to Caernarfon in order to pursue his career as an artist.

Early Work

Jones' early sketchbooks attest to the influence of the British Romantic painters, particularly J.M.W. Turner. A small, leather-bound copy book and sketchbook dated 1874 by Jones includes a copy of Turner’s painting * Crossing the Brook*, exhibited in the National Gallery in 1815. An inscription later in the small notebook reads:

*The Crossing the Brook is one of those pictures of Turner's which every one admires... The view is taken from the banks of Tamar, that divides Devonshire from Cornwall*.

It is possible that the first study in the 1874 notebook, a gothic ink study of Caernarfon Castle by moonlight, is modelled on Turner’s painting of

*c. 1798, though Jones may well have brought his first-hand knowledge of the castle to bear on this study.*

Notable Paintings

Jones' artistic output focused primarily on capturing the beauty of North Wales landscapes. His paintings frequently depict serene valleys and dramatic mountain vistas, imbued with a Romantic sensibility reminiscent of Turner’s masterful use of light and atmosphere. Recurring themes included depictions of Snowdonia National Park and coastal scenes along the Lleyn Peninsula.

Among his most celebrated works are “Left by the Tide,” an evocative oil painting depicting a shipwreck scene at sunset, and “Maesincla Road near Caernarfon,” which showcases Jones’ ability to convey mood and emotion through subtle tonal variations. His meticulous attention to detail—particularly in capturing the textures of stone and foliage—established him as one of Wales' foremost watercolour artists.

Legacy

Samuel Maurice Jones left an indelible mark on Welsh art history. His paintings continue to inspire admiration for their lyrical beauty and technical precision, cementing his place among the Romantic landscape painters who shaped the visual culture of Victorian Britain. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Cambrian Academy in 1882 and became an Academician (R.C.A.) in 1921. He was a regular exhibitor at the Academy’s annual exhibition in Conway.

Jones' dedication to artistic excellence and his unwavering commitment to portraying the grandeur of Welsh scenery ensured that his legacy would endure for generations to come.