61 / 196
61
Important Irish Art
,
wednesday 3rd December 2014 at 6pm
46
James Dixon (1887 - 1970)
West End Village Tory Island
Oil on board, 56 x 77cm (22 x 30¼”)
Signed, inscribed and dated 1964
A native of Tory Island (Co. Donegal), James Dixon enjoyed a simple life of fishing and farming, and was
introduced to painting by Derek Hill in 1959 when he visited the island. A virtually self taught artist who
was perhaps excluded from the influence of historical precedents due to the remote nature of his home,
Dixon was supplied paints and paper by Hill, but reportedly refused paint brushes as he preferred to make
his own from donkey hair. His naive style was appreciated and he had his first solo show at the New Gallery
in Belfast, followed by one at the Dawson Gallery in Dublin in 1967, one at the Autodidakt Gallery the
following year in Vienna, and another at the Portal Gallery in London. Following his death his work was
included in ROSC ‘80, and a joint show with the St. Ives painter Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) was held at the
Irish Museum of Modern Art and at Tate St. Ives (1999-2000). His work is now a part of major collections
and can be found in the Ulster Museum, the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, The Arts Council Collection
and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.
€3,000 - 5,000