Evie Hone’s abstract paintings owe much to her mentor, Albert Gleizes, and I was disappointed not to see this demonstrated in the Jellett/Hone exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland.
“In 1931 the Irish Independent referred to Hone and Jellett as ‘two exponents of the Cubist cult’, but conceded that their work contributed ‘to the varied interest of the exhibition’. Hone’s devoutness, and her attraction to Catholic ritual and liturgy, complemented rather than contradicted her philosophical position on modern art. The titles of her religious pictures often accommodated dual-meaning. In this instance, Maternité can be read as a secular theme while simultaneously alluding to traditional depictions of the Madonna and Child.” (NGI) The same can be said of the centre abstract.
“After Hone and Jellett’s stint in Gleizes’s studio in early 1924, their works developed from so-called ‘single-voice’ to ‘multi-voice’ arrangements, in which several elements occupy their own space but are connected by the overall movement within the composition. They also regularly new accents – dots, spots, lines, cross-hatching etc – that increase texture and modulate colour. Despite this early creative alignment, Hone and Jellett managed to remain independent. One critic suggested in 1924 that while Jellett was ‘the cleverer artist of the two’, Hone was ‘the purer artist’. ” (NGI)
“Hone proved over time to be a more instinctive and expressive colourist than Jellett, a tendency exemplified by this painting, which elevates vibrancy over harmony. Her inclination to deviate from the careful containment of line and contour is demonstrated here by a curious detail, delineated in black, in the bottom right-hand section of the composition. This may be attributable to Hone’s habit of developing a composition as she worked, repainting areas, and making unplanned amendments and additions.” (NGI)
Evie Hone also painted figuratively. I have a few of the gardens at Barmeath – not her best pictures. Two better examples are in the NGI exhibition.
This painting is a contrived view of the nineteenth century church of St Paul in Ardmore, Co. Waterford, and its surroundings. The detail, apart perhaps from the distinctive, elongated pinnacles on the tower, is generalised, and Hone has isolated the church itself within a colourful, broadly painted landscape, featuring oversized trees and boldly delineated topography. Hone’s association with Ardmore is likely to have been through her cousin, and fellow-artist, Joan Jameson, who had settled there.” (NGI)
Tomorrow I will take a look at Evie Hone’s stained glass.
You’ve been correctly thoughtful championing Evie Hone for what’s now a long time. Well done Christopher.
Thank you Christopher for rightly highlighting this important exhibition which I had the pleasure of seeing in Dublin a few weeks ago. Some years ago using Peter Harbisons book.A thousand years of churches in east Galway we came upon the lovely Cathedral in Loughrea with its beautiful windows and stylish decoration. The Church in Spiddal has some lovely windows remembering the Morris family, and there is a lovely church in Newport in Mayo with Harry Clarke windows. In Galway as a child I was told that the round window in the Magdalen laundry was an Evie Hone, and wondered what that meant.
Very glad to see that the exhibition is a success complete with the pictures loaned from your collection.
Inspired by your blog, I went along to the exhibition; most enjoyable and insightful on these two outstanding artists.