Canadian artist Gordon Stuart (1924-2015), who was based in Swansea, made three portraits of Thomas across three afternoon sittings near the poet’s home in Laugharne in September 1953.
Stuart recalled that Thomas “…was a good subject and very kindly towards me and told me he was looking forward to going to America”. After each sitting, Thomas would head straight for Brown’s Hotel in the village.
On the poet’s fourth US tour, Thomas suffered a severe chest infection and bouts of heavy drinking left him in a coma. He died on November 9, 1953, at the age of just 39.
One of the three pictures is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, another in the University of Texas, with this one titled Portrait of Dylan kept by the artist and then by his widow. It has been entered for auction by the Gordon Stuart estate.
The painting was exhibited at the National Eisteddfod in 1954 and again in Swansea during the 2004 Dylan Thomas centenary celebrations.
The estimate is £10,000-15,000.
