Letitia Marion Hamilton facts for kids

Medal record
Representing  Ireland
Art competitions
Olympic Games
Bronze	1948 London	Oils and watercolours

Letitia Marion Hamilton (born July 30, 1878 – died August 11, 1964) was a talented Irish artist. She was famous for her beautiful landscape paintings. What's even cooler? She also won an Olympic bronze medal for her art!

Early Life and Education

Letitia Marion Hamilton was born in Hamwood House, County Meath, Ireland. This was on July 30, 1878. She came from a family of artists. Her great-grandmother, Marianne-Caroline Hamilton, was an artist. Her cousin, Rose Maynard Barton, was also a watercolour painter.

Letitia and her sister, Eva, both became artists. They studied at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. There, they learned from a famous artist named William Orpen. Letitia also studied enamelling, which is a way of decorating metal with glass. She even won a silver medal for her enamelling work in 1912. Later, she continued her art studies in Belgium and at the Slade School of Fine Art.

Becoming a Famous Artist

Slieve Donard, Co. Down, circa 1935

Letitia Hamilton first showed her paintings in 1902. She became well-known for painting the Irish countryside. She showed more than 200 paintings at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). Letitia and her sister Eva traveled a lot in Europe. This helped Letitia see new art styles, like impressionism. Impressionism is a style where artists use small, thin brushstrokes to show how light changes.

In the 1920s, Letitia's painting style really grew. She was one of the artists who started the Society of Dublin Painters. Other famous artists like Paul Henry and Jack Butler Yeats were also part of this group. Letitia liked to make quick oil sketches. These sketches often became her finished paintings. Her style was fast and free, using loose brush strokes.

Painting in Venice

In the early 1920s, Letitia visited Venice, Italy. She even painted from a special boat called a gondola! The paintings she made in Venice are some of her best. She explored how light looked on the water and buildings. She used soft, pastel colors and strong outlines. Later, she used these same ideas in her paintings of Irish landscapes.

Achievements and Legacy

Letitia became a member of the RHA in 1943. A very special moment for her was in 1948. She won a bronze medal at the art competitions at the London Olympic Games. She was the last person to win an Olympic medal for art!

Letitia continued to paint even when her eyesight became weaker. She had her last art show in 1963, just a year before she passed away. Her paintings are now in many important art collections. You can see her work in places like the Hugh Lane Gallery and the National Gallery of Ireland. Her painting Canal Scene In Venice sold for a high price in 2004, showing how valued her art is.