Mary Swanzy facts for kids

Mary Swanzy (born February 15, 1882 – died July 7, 1978) was a famous Irish artist. She painted many different types of scenes, like landscapes and everyday life. Mary Swanzy was known for trying out many art styles. These included cubism, futurism, fauvism, and orphism. She was also one of Ireland's first artists to paint in an abstract style.

Early Life and Art Training

Mary Swanzy was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 15, 1882. She was one of three daughters. Her father, Sir Henry Rosborough Swanzy, was an eye surgeon. Her mother was Mary Denham. The family lived in a large house at 23 Merrion Square.

Mary went to school at Alexandra College in Dublin. She also studied at a finishing school in Versailles, France. Later, she attended a day school in Freiburg, Germany. Because of this, Mary could speak French and German very well.

She started taking art classes at Mary Manning's studio. There, she learned from a famous artist named John Butler Yeats. Mary Manning encouraged Swanzy to study sculpting with John Hughes. This was at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art.

Mary lived close to the National Gallery of Ireland. She spent a lot of time there. She would study and copy paintings by famous old masters. Her first art show was with the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) in 1905. She showed a painting called Portrait of a child. She continued to show portraits there every year until 1910.

In 1905, Mary Swanzy moved to Paris, France. She worked at the Delacluse studio. The next year, she attended the studio of Antonio de La Gándara. She also took classes at important art schools like Académie de la Grande Chaumière and Académie Colarossi. While in Paris, Swanzy saw the works of artists like Gauguin, Matisse, and Picasso. Their art made a big impact on her.

Developing Her Artistic Style

When Mary Swanzy returned to Dublin, she painted portraits and scenes of daily life. She had her first solo art show in 1913 at Mill's Hall. She held another show there in 1919. In this show, she displayed almost 50 paintings. Another artist, Sarah Purser, reviewed this exhibition. She noticed that Swanzy's Irish landscapes were bright and hopeful.

Mary Swanzy painted in many different styles. Her art often showed the new ideas happening in Paris. After her parents passed away, Swanzy had enough money to travel. She spent her time between Dublin and Saint-Tropez during World War I. She kept painting during this time. She also showed her art with the Société des Artistes Indépendants in Paris. She was even chosen to be on their committee in 1920.

Mary visited her sister, who was helping with a relief mission. This was in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. While there, Swanzy painted landscapes, village life, and scenes of farmers. These paintings were shown in Dublin in 1921. Her work was displayed at the Dublin Painters' Gallery. Six other artists were also featured, including Jack Butler Yeats and Paul Henry. Swanzy even shared a studio with artist Clare Marsh.

Travels and New Inspirations

From the 1920s, Swanzy started traveling to more faraway places. Around 1923, she visited Honolulu. Later, she traveled to Samoa. Because of these trips, she painted tropical flowers, trees, and local women. Her colors and style became similar to Fauvism. This art style uses bright, bold colors.

She also stayed for a while in Santa Barbara, California. She worked in a local studio there. She showed some of her Samoan paintings at the Santa Barbara Arts Club Gallery. Mary returned to Ireland in February 1925. She showed three of her Samoan paintings at the RHA. She also had a solo show in Paris in October 1925. A famous writer, Gertrude Stein, even wrote to Swanzy to congratulate her on her Paris exhibition.

In the mid-1920s, Swanzy settled in Blackheath, London. She made regular trips back to Dublin and other countries. In 1932, Sarah Purser held a special exhibition of Swanzy's work. It was for invited guests at Purser's house. Swanzy even painted Purser's drawing room. At this time, Swanzy's paintings were influenced by orphism. This style uses bright colors and geometric shapes. Her work received good reviews.

In her later years, her art became more symbolic. An example is her painting The message, which is in the Hugh Lane Gallery. During World War II, Swanzy stayed with her sister in Coolock for three years. In 1943, she had another solo show at the Dublin Painters' Gallery. Her work was also shown at the first Irish Exhibition of Living Art. In 1946, her art was displayed at St George's Gallery in London. She was shown alongside famous artists like Henry Moore and Marc Chagall.

Later Life and Legacy

Mary Swanzy became an honorary member of the RHA in 1949. She showed her art with them in 1950 and 1951. She did not exhibit in Ireland for several years. However, the Hugh Lane Gallery held a big show of her work in 1968. After this, she had two more solo shows at the Dawson Gallery in 1974 and 1976. In 1975, her art was featured at the Cork ROSC festival. She also started showing with the RHA again.

Mary Swanzy continued to paint until she passed away. She died at her home in London on July 7, 1978. In 1982, the Taylor Galleries held an exhibition to celebrate 100 years since her birth. More recently, Swanzy's work was part of the 2013 exhibition Analysing Cubism. This was at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). From October 2018 to February 2019, IMMA also held a special solo exhibition about her called Mary Swanzy Voyages.