34
Grace Henry HRHA (1868-1953)
Estimate:
€5,000 - €7,000
Sold
€37,000
Live Auction
Important Irish Art
ARTIST
Grace Henry HRHA (1868-1953)
Size
16.50 by 14.25in. (41.9 by 36.2cm)
Description
Title: THE FORTUNE TELLER
Frame dimensions: 21 by 19in. (53.3 by 48.3cm)
Note: Grace Henry's deep absorption of artistic trends on the continent can be seen throughout her oeuvre but it is particularly evident in the present work, Fortune Teller. While in some respects one could argue that there are similarities between this subject and works by her husband - the stocky peasant figure, the blues and reds reminiscent of his Potato Diggers - there can be no denying that her depiction of this solitary female figure exudes a bolder, European influence in terms of style and composition and a poetic unapologetic use of colour. Henry uses a deliberate black outline on the figure to simultaneously root her into her seated position on the ground and as a device to thrust her forward within the composition. The warm, vibrant colours command attention and while the woman does not raise her head to engage the viewer, our eye is drawn towards her.It seems appropriate that this painting, depicting a woman quietly making an independent living from her craft and painted by an artist who lived most of her life overshadowed by her husband, should have been appreciated and acquired by a fellow female artist. Letitia Marion Hamilton RHA (1878-1964) came from a family of pioneering female artists, her great-grandmother Caroline Hamilton (1771-1861) was a celebrated artist, as was her sister Eva (1876-1960) and cousin, watercolourist Rose Barton RWS (1856-1929). She was a prolific painter exhibiting more than 200 paintings at the Royal Hibernian Academy of which she became a member in 1943 and, alongside Grace Henry, she was a founding member of the Society of Dublin Painters in 1920 with Paul Henry, Mary Swanzy, Jack Butler Yeats and others. For an example by Letitia Hamilton from the same collection see lot 27.Adelle Hughes, November 2021
Frame dimensions: 21 by 19in. (53.3 by 48.3cm)
Note: Grace Henry's deep absorption of artistic trends on the continent can be seen throughout her oeuvre but it is particularly evident in the present work, Fortune Teller. While in some respects one could argue that there are similarities between this subject and works by her husband - the stocky peasant figure, the blues and reds reminiscent of his Potato Diggers - there can be no denying that her depiction of this solitary female figure exudes a bolder, European influence in terms of style and composition and a poetic unapologetic use of colour. Henry uses a deliberate black outline on the figure to simultaneously root her into her seated position on the ground and as a device to thrust her forward within the composition. The warm, vibrant colours command attention and while the woman does not raise her head to engage the viewer, our eye is drawn towards her.It seems appropriate that this painting, depicting a woman quietly making an independent living from her craft and painted by an artist who lived most of her life overshadowed by her husband, should have been appreciated and acquired by a fellow female artist. Letitia Marion Hamilton RHA (1878-1964) came from a family of pioneering female artists, her great-grandmother Caroline Hamilton (1771-1861) was a celebrated artist, as was her sister Eva (1876-1960) and cousin, watercolourist Rose Barton RWS (1856-1929). She was a prolific painter exhibiting more than 200 paintings at the Royal Hibernian Academy of which she became a member in 1943 and, alongside Grace Henry, she was a founding member of the Society of Dublin Painters in 1920 with Paul Henry, Mary Swanzy, Jack Butler Yeats and others. For an example by Letitia Hamilton from the same collection see lot 27.Adelle Hughes, November 2021
Condition
Drying cracks visible throughout, most notably upper right. Three horizontal cracks visible centre left, most notably by the figure's right shoulder. These areas appear stable. Some surface dust visible. Otherwise good condition.
Medium
oil on board
Signature
signed lower right; titled on label on reverse
Provenance
Collection of Letitia Marion Hamilton RHA;Thence by family descent
