Patrick Hennessy (painter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Hennessy
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Self Portrait and Cat, 1978
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| Born | 28 August 1915 Cork, Ireland
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| Died | 30 December 1980 (aged 65) London, UK
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Dundee School of Art |
| Known for | Still Life, Landscape and trompe l'oeil paintings |
| Movement | Realism |
Patrick Anthony Hennessy (born August 28, 1915 – died December 30, 1980) was a talented Irish artist. He was known for his realistic paintings. He painted many different things, like still lifes, landscapes, and trompe l'oeil art. Trompe l'oeil means "trick the eye" in French. It's a style where paintings look so real, they seem three-dimensional.
Patrick Hennessy grew up in Arbroath, Scotland. He studied art at the Dundee School of Art. There, he met his close friend, the painter Henry (Harry) Robertson Craig. In 1939, two of his paintings were shown at the Royal Scottish Academy. He later moved back to Ireland. He became a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1949. His art was sold in galleries in Dublin and Chicago. Later in life, he moved to Tangier and then to the Algarve. He passed away in London.
Contents
Patrick Hennessy's Life and Art
Early Life in Ireland and Scotland
Patrick Hennessy was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1915. His father was a soldier who died in World War One. When Patrick was five, his mother remarried. The family then moved to Arbroath, Scotland.
In Arbroath, Patrick went to school and showed a great talent for art. He studied at the Dundee School of Art from 1933 to 1937. He was a very good student and won awards for his artwork. He also helped paint scenery for his old high school. After finishing his studies, he had his first art show in Arbroath.
In 1938, he won a special scholarship to study art in Paris and Italy. He met other artists during his travels. When he returned to Scotland, he felt ready for new adventures. In 1939, he decided to move back to Ireland. His former teacher, James Mackintosh Patrick, later said he remembered Hennessy because he was "outstanding."
Life as an Artist in Ireland
When Patrick Hennessy arrived in Dublin, he quickly had an art show in December 1939. His art became popular. In the early 1940s, he joined the Society of Dublin Painters. He had many shows there each year. He also painted portraits for people.
In 1941, the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) accepted three of his paintings. This started a long connection with the RHA. He showed his art there almost every year until 1979. In 1947, Time magazine called him one of Ireland's best painters. This showed how important he had become in the art world.
In 1948, he became an associate of the RHA. The next year, he became a full member. In 1950, one of his paintings, De Profundis, was chosen for an exhibition that traveled across North America. This helped Americans discover his work. He also traveled a lot in Europe, visiting Italy, France, Greece, and Spain. He painted many canvases during these trips.
In 1956, a friend named David Hendriks opened the Ritchie Hendriks Gallery in Dublin. This gallery became the main place where Hennessy's art was sold for over 20 years. He also had a show in London that same year.
In 1959, Patrick became very ill. After he recovered, he and Harry Robertson Craig decided to spend winters in Morocco. This was a big change for them. They started spending more and more time outside Ireland.
Even though some art critics had mixed opinions about his work in the 1960s, his art was still very popular. In 1965, the Guildhall Gallery in Chicago offered him a major exhibition. After this, he had annual shows there. He sold more and more of his art in the United States. In 1968, he moved to Tangier, Morocco, for good.
Later Life and Legacy
In Morocco, Patrick Hennessy painted a lot. He needed to create many artworks for the Hendriks Gallery and Guildhall Gallery. In 1975, the Guildhall Gallery held a very successful show of his past works.
In 1978, he had his last show in Dublin. By then, he had moved to the Algarve, Portugal. His health began to decline. In November 1980, Harry Robertson Craig took him to a hospital in London. Patrick Hennessy passed away from cancer on December 30, 1980. His ashes were buried in Golders Green Crematorium.
Patrick Hennessy left his money and property to Harry Robertson Craig. He asked that after Craig's death, the money should go to the Royal Hibernian Academy. This generous gift created the Hennessy Craig Scholarship. This scholarship helps young artists who are just starting their careers.
Artistic Style
Patrick Hennessy had a very unique and recognizable painting style. People described his art in different ways. Some called him a Traditional Realist, while others called him a Romantic or even a Surrealist. No matter the label, he always stayed true to his own artistic vision.
He painted many different subjects. These included:
- Still life: Paintings of objects like fruit, flowers, or household items.
- Interiors: Scenes inside buildings.
- Landscapes: Pictures of nature, like mountains or seasides.
- Portraits: Paintings of people.
You can see his artwork in many public collections. These include the Crawford Art Gallery, the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, and the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI). His art is also in the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland (NSPCI).
Selected Exhibitions
- Group Exhibition; Patrick Hennessy and Alexander Allen Exhibition, Arbroath Library, Scotland, July 1939.
- Solo Exhibition; The Country Shop Gallery Dublin, December 1939.
- Solo Exhibition; Dublin Painters Gallery, Dublin, 1943.
- Solo Exhibition; Victor Waddington Gallery, Dublin, November 1948.
- Solo Exhibition; Exhibition of Recent Paintings by Patrick Hennessy RHA, Thos.Agnew & Sons Ltd London, October - November 1956.
- Solo Exhibition; Patrick Hennessy Exhibition, Guildhall Galleries ltd Chicago, 1966.
- Solo Exhibition; Ten Year Retrospective Exhibition, Guildhall Galleries Ltd Chicago, 1975.
- Solo Exhibition; Paintings by Patrick Hennessy RHA, The David Hendriks Gallery Dublin, November - December 1978.
- Group Exhibition: Catching a Likeness – Portraits on Paper, National Gallery of Ireland (NGI) Dublin, September – December 2007.
- Solo Exhibition; De Profundis, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, March – July 2016.
Selected Works
- Self-Portrait, National Self-Portrait Gallery of Ireland (NSPCI), University of Limerick, Ireland
- Portrait of Liv Hempel (1939)
- Old Kinsale (c.1940), Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland
- Exiles (1943), Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, Dublin, Ireland
- Portrait of Elizabeth Bowen at Bowen's Court (1957), Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland
- Bird Still Life (1973), University College Cork, Ireland
- Self-Portrait and Cat (1978), Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland
