Evie Sydney Hone was one of
Ireland's most important
artists. Born in
1894, her role in the
cubist movement of western europe was crucial to the introduction of
modern art to Ireland.
Her name is rarely mentioned in the same sentence without her counterpart and close friend
Mainie Jellet. Together they both studied under
Albert Lhote and
Albert Gleizes in
Paris, and returned to Ireland to
exhibit their work, which was initally met with suspiscion by the public. This was probably due to the fact that their style was so different from the work of other Irish artists of the preceding era, such as
Sir John Lavery and
Forbes.
Hone was from a deeply religious background and this is reflected in the evolution of her work as she gradually made the transition from canvas to stained glass.
Although her cubist works are highly regarded, she will be best remembered for her glass works such as The Crucifiction (1948) and The Last Supper (1945).
Painted works by both Hone and Jellet are currently on display in the museum of modern art at the slick new millennium wing of the Irish national gallery. Well worth a visit if you're ever in Dublin.