The present work offers a compelling introduction to former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Executed on an ancient piece of bog oak, The White Druid of the Gorsedd of Bards serves as a smaller companion piece to The Master of Magdalene (cat.56) [ex no.39] that brings into focus Williams's contemplative visage and captures what Wadsworth describes as his "mystical, mythical, wise presence".
Inspired by techniques derived from Late Antique Egyptian communities, Wadsworth has applied layers of clear wax with oil paint suspended in between, so that the image rests beneath the surface, seemingly within the prehistoric wood itself. The shadows combine with the blackened oak they are painted upon, and cloudy wax evokes the mists of the Welsh valleys; a celebration of Williams's heritage.
