Phoebe Donovan (1902 – May 1998) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

flower, landscape and portrait artist.

Biography

Phoebe Donovan (1902–1998) was born in

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 N ...

in 1902. She was educated privately before being sent to a French school in Wexford. Donovan began painting as part of a local art group. She then traveled to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Donovan grew up on a farm and raised animals and sold eggs to gather the money needed to attend art college. Eventually Donovan attended the

Dublin Metropolitan School of Art The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of th ...

in 1927 and also the

Royal Hibernian Academy The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the RIA, the academy retained the word "Royal" after most of Ireland became in ...

Schools on

St Stephen's Green St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by L ...

Sean Keating Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angliciz ...

taught her portraiture. Her first exhibition was with the RHA in 1931. She exhibited again in 1933 with the

Water Colour Society of Ireland Water Colour Society of Ireland (WCSI) is a watercolour society in Ireland, founded in 1870. The Society held its first exhibition in the Courthouse, Lismore, County Waterford in May 1871. History The ''Water Colour Society of Ireland (WCSI)'' w ...

. In 1948 she was elected a member and served on the committee from 1954 to 1987. Throughout the 1930s and 40s Donovan was a member of the

Society of Dublin Painters The Society of Dublin Painters or Dublin Painters Group was formed in Ireland in 1920 to promote Irish modern art. History The Society of Dublin Painters was founded in 1920 by Paul and Grace Henry, Mary Swanzy, Letitia Marion Hamilton, Jack B. Y ...

. She died in her childhood home, Ballymore, County Wexford, in May 1998.

Solo exhibitions

* Old Stables Gallery, Ballymore, Camolin, Permanent Display * Stephen O’ Mara Gallery, Dun Laoghaire, 1990 * Corish Picture Gallery, wexford, 1958, ’65, ’70 * Ritchie Hendricks Gallery, Dublin, 1956 * Charles Pilkington Showrooms, Dawson St. Dublin, 1955 * Dublin Painters Gallery, 1951 * The Country Shop Dublin, 1950

Group exhibitions

* Dun Laoghaire Arts Week, 1988 * Setanta Gallery, Dublin1977 * Graphic Studio retrospective Exhibition, 1976 * Dalkey Community Council, 1976 & 1987 * Municipal Gallery, Dublin, 1964 * Painters Group, 1961 & 1966 * Kilkenny Arts Society, 1961 * Munster Fine Art club, Cork, 1946 * Pastel Society, London, 1936 * Dublin Sketching Club, 1930 * Irish Watercolour Society, 1933 – 1997

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donovan, Phoebe 1902 births 1998 deaths 20th-century Irish artists 20th-century Irish women artists Alumni of the National College of Art and Design Landscape artists People from Wexford, County Wexford Irish portrait painters Artists from County Wexford