Jacob and the Angel, sandstone, 1959. Collection: Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea.
Jonah Jones developed a particular obsession with the very human biblical figure of Jacob, who he called “that first rewarding candidate for the psychiatrist’s couch with his strange relationships with his father, mother, brother, wife, mistress, society and God … this Jacob kept recurring and accompanied me on my own devious path.” The subtle evolution in style between this piece and the earlier Jacob at Peniel is worth noting.
UPDATE: The sculpture has been on permanent display at the Glynn Vivian since the William G. Lewis show closed on 2022. See our news report posted in June 2022.