Ethel Rhind facts for kids

Ethel Rhind (born December 1, 1877 – died March 6, 1952) was a talented Irish artist. She was famous for creating beautiful stained-glass windows and mosaic artworks. Ethel Rhind worked with a special art studio called An Túr Gloine, which means "The Tower of Glass" in Irish.

Ethel Rhind's Early Life and Learning

Ethel Rhind was born on December 1, 1877, in a place called Arrah, in India. Her father, Robert Hunter Rhind, was an engineer from Edinburgh, Scotland, who worked for the government in India. Her mother, Hannah Rhind, came from White Abbey, County Antrim, in Ireland. Hannah was also related to the Gore-Booth family, who lived in a famous house called Lissadell House in County Sligo.

Schooling and Art Training

Ethel went to Londonderry High School. After that, she studied art at the School of Art in Belfast. In 1900, she earned a special certificate to teach art. In 1902, Ethel received a scholarship, which is like a grant to help pay for studies. This allowed her to learn about mosaics from Miss Holloway at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art.

Ethel was also one of the first students to learn about making stained glass from a teacher named Alfred E. Child. Her student artwork was so good that it was shown at a big event called the Irish International Exhibition in 1907.

Joining An Túr Gloine

Around 1907 or 1908, Ethel joined Sarah Purser's art studio, An Túr Gloine. Here, she focused on making stained glass and opus sectile art. Opus sectile is a type of mosaic where artists cut larger pieces of material, like stone or glass, into shapes to create a picture, instead of using many tiny pieces.

Ethel Rhind passed away on March 6, 1952, in a nursing home in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland.

Ethel Rhind's Amazing Artworks

This beautiful stained-glass window was made by Ethel Rhind in 1910. It is in the Sacred Heart Church in Castletownbere and shows Margaret Mary Alacoque receiving a vision of the Sacred Heart.

Ethel Rhind created many wonderful pieces of art. Some of her earliest work can be seen in a window called Harmony and Fortitude. She made this window in 1907 for the Gore-Booth family's church in Lissadell. In 1908, she won first prize at the Royal Dublin Society for a window she designed for the Old Court chapel in Strangford, County Down.

Where You Can Find Her Art

Most of Ethel's stained-glass windows were made for Church of Ireland churches. However, she also designed art for other churches, like the Presbyterian church on York Road in Dún Laoghaire. She also created works for The Honan chapel at University College Cork and a series of art pieces called St Carthage.

During this time, Ethel lived in Dublin with her sister Sophia, who worked as a secretary for the Royal Irish Academy. Ethel often worked with other artists. When Wilhelmina Geddes, another artist at An Túr Gloine, became ill, Ethel helped finish her designs. She also worked closely with Catherine O'Brien. From 1917, Ethel was a member of the Guild of Craft Workers, a group for skilled artists.

Her Unique Opus Sectile Style

Ethel Rhind's work in opus sectile was very special and new for its time. Many people believe this was her most important contribution to the fame of An Túr Gloine. Some of her most famous opus sectile pieces include the Stations of the Cross (pictures showing events from the story of Jesus) made for St Enda's church in Spiddal, County Galway, between 1916 and 1928. She also made Stations for Loughrea cathedral from 1929 to 1933.

Another important work is her 1921 war memorial called Archangel Michael. This artwork is on the outside wall of All Saints Church, Grangegorman, in Dublin. Ethel's opus sectile art was unique because she used stone, glass, and even shells in her designs. This was different from the usual method of using only tiny tiles.

Other Notable Works

In 1912, Ethel designed a tapestry called Smuainteach. A tapestry is a thick fabric with pictures or designs woven into it. This tapestry was woven by the Dún Emer Guild in Dundrum and is now part of the collections at the National Museum of Ireland.

Ethel's designs for both stained glass and opus sectile were shown at the Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland exhibitions in 1910, 1917, and 1921. You can even find two of her stained-glass pieces in the United States: one in the Sacred Heart Convent chapel in Newton, Massachusetts, and another in Brophy College Chapel in Arizona. Ethel Rhind stopped working at the studio in 1939.