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Ceri Richards - 1903 – 1971

The painter, printmaker and stage designer Ceri Richards is Swansea's most famous artist. He first illustrated Dylan's work in 1945, but it was not until 1953, shortly before Dylan's final lecture tour to the States, that they finally met.

Inspired by this meeting, Richards returned to Dylan's work with new vigour. A commission to illustrate the poem 'The force that through the green fuse' led to a number of paintings and lithographs related to Thomas' writings and to the work of other poets, including Vernon Watkins. Richards went on to illustrate Dylan's Collected Poems and the Folio Society's edition of Under Milk Wood.

Richards exhibited his work widely and was also commissioned by the Ministry of Information to make drawings of South Wales tin-plate workers.