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Important Irish Art 27th May 2015
www.adams.ie 27 Fr. Jack P. Hanlon (1913 - 1968) French Market WomenOil on canvas board, 53.5 x 36.5 cm (21 x 14¼”)
Signed and dated 1967
Born in Dublin, Jack Hanlon studied for the priesthood at University Col-
lege Dublin, Holy Cross and Maynooth College, but had begun exhibiting
at the RHA at the age of twenty-one. His training mainly involved the art of
looking, as he spent time in France, Belgium and Spain where he visited
galleries, museums and cathedrals here he found inspiration. His formal
training consisted of a spell at the studio of André Lhote in Paris, where
he met Henri Matisse whose fauvist style was similar in ways to his own.
1939 was a significant year for Hanlon, as his work was included in an ex-
hibition at the New York World Fair, and having completed his studies for
the priesthood he was ordained. From that year on he enjoyed a steady
run of exhibitions. From 1940 to 1968 he exhibited regularly with the Water
Colour Society of Ireland, and had solo shows at the Victor Wadding-
ton Galleries in 1941, ‘46, ‘48 and ‘53. During the war years he also de-
signed Christmas cards for Victor Waddington Publications. Hanlon was
involved in setting up the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, sitting on the first
executive commission in 1943 and exhibiting with them frequently. His
artistic output stemmed out from watercolour painting from the 1950s
on. He was commissioned to create murals for the Irish Pavillion at the
Chicago World Fair and also completed one at Our Lady Star of the Sea
Church in Cobh, Co. Cork. This was just one of his ecclesiastical commis-
sions. He executed numerous oils for churches around the country and
in 1957 designed and supervised the production of vestments that were
made by a group of seven Sisters of the Convent of Perpetual Adora-
tion, which were then presented to Pope Pius XII by the Irish Government.
€4,000 - €6,000