Hafod Copper Works, River Tawy, Swansea by James Harris Senior

Room 4 is the first of three rooms dedicated to the life and collections of Richard Glynn Vivian. In this room we find photographs of him as a young man, and of members of his family. There are items of his silver and ceramic collections, and also albums of his travels on display.

The oil painting that we are going to describe here dates from the 19th century. It hangs alongside another oil painting, which shows a view of Swansea from the 1800s.

Hafod Copper Works, River Tawy, Swansea, is a large landscape painting, measuring 97.5cm in height and 150cm in width, hanging in a plain gilt frame.

We are struck by the expanse of sky, stretching above the rolling hills and calm waters of the river, which meanders through the centre of the lower section of the painting. The sky is suffused with a dusky glow, the sun appearing to be in the distance beyond a hill to the left.

The copper works of the title are in the very far distance, to the left of the centre – just a few tiny chimneys can be spotted on the horizon with smoke drifting upwards. Above these chimneys the sky is very pale with white soft clouds, becoming a little bluer beyond the hill to the right.

Nestled into the hill on the right is a small village or town. The houses are painted in detail with their windows and rooftops, some in white, some pinky brown, a larger building stands higher up the hill. Dotted in amongst the buildings are tiny people, some in red clothing.

As we travel down the hill, past the buildings we come to the river bank to the right, painted in creams and whites with a little seaweed green. Other small figures are found here, including a woman walking away from us, in a red shawl, balancing a basket on her head, a sailor in a red cap, a man in a top hat and another in a red jumper. Two are holding on to a rope attached to a Barge sitting low in the river, near the water’s edge. A sailor stands to operate the rudder at the back.

Moored beside the river bank, to the left and right, further from us, are sailing ships with tall sails, their upright masts painted in detail. The sails, some pink, some cream, billow gently in the breeze.

Between the boats moored to the right and left is a small rowing boat with three or four men on board.

The overall impression of the painting is calm and peaceful, capturing a romantic, perhaps even idyllic atmosphere.
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Swansea 1840 by A F Rolfe

This wide landscape painting, measuring 88.5cm in height and
123cm in width is an oil on canvas. It shows a view of Swansea in 1840. The sea is to the top left , the blue of the calm water reflecting the blue of the sunlit sky.

Dozens of sailing ships are found on the water and also moored by the riverside.

The curve of the bay sweeps round to the left away from us.

Most of the painting shows the land – flat green fields with occasional farmhouses and cottages.

Closest to us we seem to be in a parkland or woodland full of bushes and trees on the near side of a stone wall. A woman and her daughter walk down a path towards us into the sunlight. She carries a red vase on her head and the little girl carries a basket. A black and white dog runs along beside them.

Audio Description by Anne Hornsby, Mind's Eye Description Services Ltd

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