Artist Collections

Eric Malthouse

1914–1997

The 27 lithographs and screen prints by Eric Malthouse purchased in 1986 represents the work of one of the few printmakers working in Wales in the 1950s and 1960s-it is the largest group of his works in a public collection. Malthouse trained at Birmingham School of Art and moved to Cardiff in 1944 to teach at the College of Art . He subsequently featured prominently in Wales as a prolific painter and active exhibitor, and as a founder member of the 56 Group Wales. The prints which span the years 1956 to 1972 take us on a journey from his last days of figuration to his increasing involvement with abstraction. These include Façade (1969), screen prints made after his designs for John Dankworth's performance of Sir William Walton's music based on Edith Sitwell's poems of the same title, and the nine screen prints comprising Prynu Dol (1970) inspired by the writings of Kate Roberts.