Anne Madden (artist) facts for kids

Anne Madden (born 1932) is a famous English painter. She is well known in both Ireland and France. She has lived in both countries since 1958. That's when she married the artist Louis le Brocquy.

Early Life and Challenges

Anne M. Madden was born in London in 1932. Her father was Irish, and her mother was from Chile. Anne spent her first few years in Chile on her father's farm. When she was ten, her family moved to Corrofin, Ireland. Later, she moved to London and studied art. She attended the Chelsea School of Arts and Crafts.

Anne faced many challenges in her early life. She experienced the loss of close family members. These difficult times deeply influenced her. In the 1950s, she had several operations on her spine. This was due to a riding accident. During this time, she met the painter Louis le Brocquy. They married in 1958 at Chartres Cathedral. They then made their home and art studio in Carros, France. They lived there until the year 2000.

Starting Her Art Journey (1950s)

Anne Madden started showing her art in London when she was eighteen. One of her first shows was with the New English Art Club. Her early paintings were inspired by The Burren in Ireland. She loved lonely, wild places.

In 1956, Anne visited a big art show at the Tate Gallery. It was called Modern Art in the United States. This show introduced her to American art, especially abstract expressionism. This style greatly influenced her own work. In the late 1950s, she admired the art of Sam Francis and Jean-Paul Riopelle. She saw their paintings at the Royal Academy. Later, she met these artists in Paris. She also met Joan Mitchell and others. They traded artworks and ideas. Anne started using new techniques. These included palette knives and paint flows. She also began using multiple canvases to create her art.

From 1954, Anne often showed her art at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art. In 1964, she won a painting prize. It was for her artwork called Promontory.

Growing as an Artist (1960s)

In 1960, Anne Madden had her own art show. It was at the Dawson Gallery in Dublin. It was a big success! A reviewer from Irish Times wrote about her powerful landscape paintings. They said she showed the "bones" of the land. This meant she captured its simple, strong beauty.

In the mid-1960s, the Fondation Maeght opened nearby. This changed Anne's quiet life in Carros. She and Louis met many artists, writers, and musicians there. They formed lasting friendships. Anne was the first person to win the Carroll Prize in 1964. She also had a solo show in Belfast in 1964.

In 1965, Anne represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale. After this, she often showed her art in Paris. From the 1960s, she painted abstract landscapes. These were inspired by her childhood in western Ireland. In 1966, she was one of four artists invited to show at an exhibition in Belfast.

Reflecting Life in Art (1970s)

Between 1970 and 1979, Anne Madden painted many tall, vertical artworks. Their size was based on her own height. These paintings were inspired by ancient stone monuments. They explored ideas about life and death. The artworks often had dark colors and sharp edges. Anne said they showed her feelings of sadness. They also reflected the difficult times in Northern Ireland. She aimed to find light even in darkness.

Anne showed her work at the Oireachtas Exhibition in 1971. In 1974, she had three solo shows. These were in Belfast, London, and Dublin. She had another solo show in 1979.

New Directions (1980s Onwards)

In the 1980s, Anne stopped painting for a while. She focused on drawing instead. This led to a series of large drawings. They were made with graphite and oil paint on paper. She called them Openings. These drawings were shown at the Fondation Maeght in 1983. Three of these works were also part of ROSC '84. Anne was one of nine Irish artists invited to show there. A self-portrait by Anne was added to the National Self Portrait Collection of Ireland in 1987. She also had a show of new works in Dublin in 1987.

In 1990, Anne had a solo show at the Kerlin Gallery in Dublin. She returned there in 1992 with Drawings of Masters. Anne then went back to painting on canvas. She continued to create many artworks. These were shown in a big exhibition in 1991. It was at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin.

In 1994, Anne received a special request. She was asked to paint one of ten large paintings. These were for the O'Reilly Hall at University College Dublin. In 1999, the French village of Carros asked Anne to paint a huge ceiling. It was for their medieval castle. The painting, called Empyrius, is 54 square meters! It is now a permanent artwork there. The castle also has a room dedicated to Anne's art.

In 2000, Anne moved back to Dublin. She took over a property that was once artist Sarah Purser's studio. Anne loves nature. She had grown vines and olives in France. This inspired her collection called The Garden of Love. It was shown in 2002. In 2017, Anne had another show called Colours of the Wind. These new works were inspired by the myth of Ariadne's golden thread.

Anne has been a member of Aosdána since 1986. This is an Irish group that honors artists. In 1994, she wrote a book about her husband, Louis le Brocquy. It was called Louis le Brocquy: Seeing His Way. Anne and Louis had two sons, Pierre and Alexis. In 2004, Anne received an honorary degree from University College Dublin. The same year, the French Government gave her a special award. It was called Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Her husband Louis passed away in 2012.

Legacy

Anne Madden's art can be seen in many public and private collections. These are all over the world! Some places include:

• The Ulster Museum
• The Arts Council of Ireland collection
• The Arts Council of Northern Ireland
• Arts Council of England
• Centre National d'art Contemporain Georges Pompidou (France)
• Museu Picasso (Spain)
• Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (France)
• Musée du Louvre (France)
• Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery (Ireland)
• Trinity College, Dublin (Ireland)
• the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland