Nicola Gordon Bowe facts for kids

Stained-glass created by Harry Clarke

Nicola (Nikki) Gordon Bowe (1948 – 4 January 2018) was an expert in art history, a writer, and a teacher. She was especially good at understanding the Arts and Crafts movement in Ireland. This movement helped bring back stained glass as a beautiful art form. Nikki was also famous for her deep research and books about stained glass artists like Harry Clarke and Wilhelmina Geddes.

She worked as a special researcher at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. She was also a visiting professor at the University of Ulster. Throughout her career, she received many special awards called fellowships.

Nikki's Early Life and Learning

Stained glass created by Harry Clarke

Nicola Gordon Bowe was born in 1948 in Stafford, England. Her father, Richard Gordon, was a council member in London, and her mother, Elizabeth Smedley, was a headmistress. Nikki grew up in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

She went to St Albans High School for Girls. Later, she finished her advanced studies at an English school in Rome, Italy. Nikki felt a strong connection to her Irish family roots in Clonmel. This led her to choose a university in Ireland. She studied French and Italian at Trinity College, Dublin. She earned a bachelor's degree, and later, a master's and a PhD in art history.

Her Career as an Art Historian

For over 30 years, Nikki Gordon Bowe taught about the history of design. She worked at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. She also helped start a master's degree course there about design history and applied arts.

She was a visiting professor at the University of Ulster. Nikki also held research positions at several places, including the University of Wales and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. She even represented Ireland in a UNESCO group that studied Art Nouveau architecture.

In 2001, Dr. Bowe became an Honorary Fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters. She also served on the board for The Journal of Stained Glass. This journal later published a tribute to her.

Researching the Arts and Crafts Movement

Stained glass created by Wilhelmina Geddes.

Nikki Gordon Bowe wrote and gave many talks about the Arts and Crafts Movement from the early 1900s. She also focused on the Celtic Revival and how stained glass became popular again as an art form. She wrote for many different books and magazines.

Nikki became a very important art historian because of her detailed research. She helped bring attention back to the forgotten works of two amazing stained glass artists: Harry Clarke and Wilhelmina Geddes.

Discovering Harry Clarke's Work

Harry Clarke was a stained glass artist from the early 20th century. Nikki rediscovered his work in many old churches across Ireland. His art became the topic of her PhD study in 1982. Her first book about Clarke was published in 1983.

Her deep dive into Clarke's life and art started her long career. She did a lot of research into the Arts and Crafts movement in Ireland. Nikki's important book about Harry Clarke, first published in 1989, helped bring this special Irish artist back into the spotlight.

Highlighting Wilhelmina Geddes

Nikki Gordon Bowe also spent many years studying the life and art of Wilhelmina Geddes. Geddes was a stained glass artist from Ulster who was not very well known. Like Harry Clarke, Geddes was admired during her life but largely forgotten after her death.

During her lifetime, art historians praised Geddes' work. However, she never became widely famous. She created just over 30 stained glass pieces. Today, her work is seen as just as important as that of other leading stained glass artists of her time. Nikki's book on Geddes helps us understand this "golden age" of British stained glass. Her book on Geddes was even nominated for a Book of the Year award in 2016.

Personal Life

Nicola Gordon married Patrick "Paddy" Bowe, who was an architect and garden historian. They got married at Leixlip Castle in 1974. They lived in Ranelagh, South Dublin, and also in Glenmalure, County Wicklow. Their daughter, Venetia, born in 1991, is an actress.

Death

Nikki Gordon Bowe passed away suddenly on 4 January 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. She had a short illness.

Selected publications

• Harry Clarke: The Life & Work
• Wilhelmina Geddes: Life and Work