Charles Lamb (painter) facts for kids

Charles Vincent Lamb (born August 30, 1893 – died December 15, 1964) was a famous Irish artist. He was known for painting beautiful landscapes and portraits of people.

Early Life and Learning

Charles Vincent Lamb was born in Portadown, County Armagh, in 1893. His father, John Lamb, was a painter and decorator, and also a local judge. Charles was the oldest of seven children. He learned a lot from his father, even winning a gold medal for house painting in 1913!

He went to Portadown Technical School and later studied art at the Belfast School of Art in the evenings. In 1917, he won a special scholarship that allowed him to study at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art for four years. There, he learned from a famous artist named Seán Keating. While studying, Charles became friends with a writer named Pádraic Ó Conaire. This friend encouraged him to visit and paint the beautiful West of Ireland.

Becoming an Artist

In 1920, Charles Lamb started teaching art at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. That same year, he showed six of his paintings at an exhibition. He also joined a group of artists called the Society of Dublin Painters. Their first art show was in Dublin in August.

In 1921, Charles showed his art at the Belfast Art Society's exhibition. One of his paintings, A Northern Cross-road Dance, was highly praised. A critic said it was "wonderfully worked out" and "full of life and motion." Soon after, Charles was made an Associate of the Belfast Art Society. He continued to show his paintings there for the next two years.

In 1923, Charles became an Associate at the Royal Hibernian Academy, a very important art institution in Ireland. He became a full member in 1938.

Finding Inspiration in the West of Ireland

Charles Lamb was deeply inspired by the strong feeling of Irish identity after the Easter Rising in 1916. He first visited Carraroe in the Connemara region of Ireland in 1921. He felt that this area truly showed the "National essence" of Ireland. He loved it so much that he returned often. In 1935, he even built a cottage there and lived there until he passed away.

In 1922, he traveled around Ireland, visiting places like Kent, Down, Donegal, and Waterford. These trips helped him improve his landscape painting style. He also visited Brittany in France, where he found the scenery similar to the west of Ireland.

In 1923, Charles had his first solo art show in Dublin. He displayed landscapes from Carraroe and the West of Ireland, along with portraits. Some people thought his use of color was very bold and modern.

He continued to exhibit his work often. Between 1926 and 1928, he spent time living in a caravan on the Aran Islands and also in Brittany. In 1926, he showed his art with other important artists like Jack Butler Yeats and Paul Henry.

Charles had annual solo exhibitions in Dublin, often showing around fifty paintings. Many of these showed the "light, life and atmosphere" of Brittany and Connemara. In 1932, his exhibition focused on works from the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking areas), including a painting called A Connemara Woman. An art critic once said that Charles Lamb's art was better than politicians at showing how wonderful the Gaeltacht was!

His art also traveled internationally. In 1928, he exhibited in Boston for the first time. He then showed his work in New York in 1929 and 1930, and in London in 1931.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1930, Charles Lamb's paintings were part of an exhibition that went to Brussels to promote Irish trade. His work was shown alongside famous artists like William Orpen and John Lavery. In October 1930, he was given an honorary title by the Ulster Academy of Arts.

Charles Lamb even competed in the art competitions at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles! He showed his painting A Galway Fisherman. He also competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.

After building his house in Carraroe in 1935, Charles also started his own annual exhibition and summer art school there. In 1936, his painting A Connemara Woman Knitting was shown at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Before World War II, he spent time in Germany. In 1940, a writer named Thomas Bodkin named Charles Lamb as one of "Twelve Irish Artists" who were important for creating a new, modern style of Irish painting.

During the 1940s, his work was included in several important exhibitions in Ireland, showcasing "Living Irish Artists." In 1948, he even had an exhibition in his hometown of Portadown.

In 1949, Charles Lamb created illustrations for a very important book written in the Irish language, called Cre na Cille. His art was also part of an exhibition of "Contemporary Irish Paintings" that traveled to Boston and Ottawa in 1950.

In 1951, as part of a big national celebration, fifty of Charles Lamb's paintings showing Irish scenes and people were displayed in Portadown's town hall. He continued to show his work at the Royal Hibernian Academy's annual exhibitions in 1954.

Death and Lasting Impact

Charles Vincent Lamb passed away at his home in Carraroe on December 15, 1964. He left behind his wife, Katharine, and their four children. A special exhibition of his work was held in Dublin in 1969 to remember his art.

Today, you can see Charles Lamb's paintings in many public and private art collections. These include the Ulster Museum, the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, and the National Gallery of Ireland. His art helps us remember the beauty of Ireland and its people.