The Society of Dublin Painters or Dublin Painters Group was formed in Ireland in 1920 to promote

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 ...

modern art.

History

The Society of Dublin Painters was founded in 1920 by

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

and

Grace Henry Grace Henry HRHA (10 February 1868 – 11 August 1953) was a Scottish landscape artist, who spent a large part of her career painting in Ireland. Early life and education Grace Henry was born Emily Grace Mitchell at Kirktown St. Fergus, near ...

Mary Swanzy Mary Swanzy HRHA (15 February 1882 – 7 July 1978) was an Irish landscape and genre artist. Noted for her eclectic style, she painted in many styles including cubism, futurism, fauvism, and orphism, she was one of Ireland's first abstract pai ...

Letitia Marion Hamilton Letitia Marion Hamilton (30 July 1878 – 11 August 1964) was an Irish landscape artist and Olympic bronze medallist. Life Letitia Marion Hamilton was born in Hamwood House, County Meath on 30 July 1878. She was the daughter of Cha ...

, Jack B. Yeats, and

Harry Clarke Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement. His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau and ...

. As the original meeting notes have been lost, there is some uncertainty as to which artists were there at the inaugural meeting. Along with these potential founding members,

Clare Marsh Clare Marsh (13 January 1875 – 5 May 1923) was an Irish still life and portrait artist. Early life and family Clare Marsh was born Emily Cecil Clare Marsh 13 January 1875 at New Court, Bray, County Wicklow, the house of her maternal grandfat ...

, E.M. O’Rourke Dickey, and

James Sleator James Sinton Sleator (27 June 1885 – 9 January 1950), was an Irish artist, born in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland. Painter of portraits and still life, James Sleator was son of William Slator (different spelling, as James changed this, ...

were featured in the first exhibition. The Society held its first exhibition at its premises at 7 St Stephen's Green on 5 August 1920, which ran until 1 September and attracted good reviews. Yeats, Marsh, and Paul Henry were all signatories to the lease of this premises. The group sought to bring

modernism Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

to Ireland, and provide a freer, less academic space for artistic expression and experimentation less focused on accuracy and realism. Its foundation was seen as providing an alternative public exhibition space to the more conservative

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 ...

(RHA), which did not favour exhibiting Irish modern art. At its 1923 exhibition, Mary Swanzy exhibited one of her earliest cubist paintings, ''Decoration''. The membership always had a large proportion of women. The Society held annual exhibitions and one-person shows at its premises on St Stephen's Green. Unlike the RHA, the Society did not mandate a particular style of painting for inclusion in its exhibitions, with the only limitation on the number of paintings an artist could submit. The members were free to submit paintings to other exhibitions such as the RHA,

The White Stag Group The White Stag Group was a group of artists centred on the painters Basil Rakoczi and Kenneth Hall. Founded in London in 1935, the group moved to Ireland in 1939 and stayed until after the Second World War where they gained Irish members like T ...

and

Irish Exhibition of Living Art The Irish Exhibition of Living Art (IELA) was a yearly exhibition of Irish abstract expressionism and avant-garde Irish art that was started in 1943 by Mainie Jellett. Background World War II Ireland During World War II, Ireland remained ...

. Membership was limited, with just 10 members initially, rising to 12 in 1932, and 18 in 1934 owing to limited exhibition and studio space. By 1943, the Society was being overtaken by exhibitions like the Irish Exhibition of Living Art and was no longer seen as the premier outlet for avant-garde Irish art. After a decline in membership, the Society ceased to exist by the early 1960s.

References

{{Authority control Irish art 1920 establishments in Ireland