Moyra Barry facts for kids

Moyra Barry (1886 – 1960) was a talented Irish artist. She is especially famous for her beautiful paintings of flowers.

Early Life and Art School Days

Moyra Aloysius Barry was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1886. She was the oldest of eleven children in her family. Even though her first name was Moyra, her family always called her Mary.

Moyra went to Loreto Convent for her early schooling. Later, she studied art at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) Schools from 1908 to 1909. While there, she won several awards for her drawing and how she arranged her art (composition).

She then moved to London to attend the Slade School of Fine Art. She studied there from 1911 to 1914. She even won a top prize for painting from a plaster model (cast) in 1913-1914.

In the 1920s, Moyra lived in Quito, Ecuador, where she taught English. She returned to her family home in Dublin in the 1930s.

Her Artistic Career

Moyra Barry showed her artwork often at the Royal Hibernian Academy. She exhibited there from 1908 all the way until 1952. She also had her own art shows at the Angus Gallery starting in 1932.

She was known for painting portraits of people and landscapes. But she became most famous for her amazing flower paintings. She used both watercolors and oil paints for these.

Moyra often painted chrysanthemums and rhododendrons. She found ideas for her flower art from the water lilies at the National Botanic Gardens. A famous artist named Dermod O'Brien called her "the finest painter of flowers alive" in 1941.

Moyra was an important member of the Society of Dublin Painters. She was one of their main leaders in the 1930s and 1940s. She also belonged to the Dublin Sketching Club and showed her art with them regularly. Her work was sometimes shown in other countries like England, the Netherlands, and North America.

Her Legacy

Moyra Barry's artwork is kept in several important places in Ireland. You can find her paintings at the Crawford Art Gallery and the Ulster Museum. Her painting called Self portrait in the artist's studio (from 1920) is displayed at the National Gallery of Ireland.

Moyra Barry passed away in Dublin on February 2, 1960. She is buried at Glasnevin Cemetery.