Alfred Ernest Child (1875–1939) was an English

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

artist, a lecturer in the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art and was associated with

An Túr Gloine An Túr Gloine (; Irish for "The Glass Tower") was a cooperative studio for stained glass and '' opus sectile'' artists from 1903 until 1944, based in Dublin, Ireland. History An Túr Gloine was conceived of in late 1901 and established Januar ...

Life and education

Alfred Ernest Child was born in London in 1875. As a young man, he left school to work in an accountant's office, working there for a year when he decided to pursue a career in the arts. He studied in the

Central School of Arts and Crafts The Central School of Art and Design was a art school, school of fine arts, fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central School ...

having won a scholarship, and went on to study stained glass under

Christopher Whall Christopher Whitworth Whall (1849 – 23 December 1924) was a British stained-glass artist who worked from the 1880s and on into the 20th century. He is recognised as a leader in the Arts and Crafts movement and a key figure in the moder ...

as an assistant glass painter and designer. Child was married to Annie, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. Child died of stroke in Dublin in 1939.

Artistic work

Child was invited to Dublin in September 1901 to teach in the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, forming a class in stained glass within two months. Whilst working in the School he tutored a generation of Irish stained-glass artists which included

Harry Clarke Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement. His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau ...

Ethel Rhind Ethel Rhind (1 December 1877 – 6 March 1952) was an Irish stained-glass and mosaic artist, who was associated with An Túr Gloine. Life and education Rhind was born on 1 December 1877 in Arrah, Bihar, India. Her father was Robert Hunter Rhind ...

, Catherine O’Brien, Michael Healy and

Evie Hone Eva Sydney Hone RHA (22 April 1894 – 13 March 1955), usually known as Evie, was an Irish painter and stained glass artist.Nicola Gordon Bowe (May 2009)Hone, Eva Sydney (1894–1955) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online editi ...

. It is this influence is seen as his largest contribution to Irish stained glass art. Child became the manager of

upon its opening in 1903. Child was a member of Guild of Irish Art Workers and exhibited with the Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland. Amongst the windows that he designed are those at

Loughrea Loughrea ( ; ), is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains and Lough Rea, the lake from which it takes its name. The town's cathedral, St Brendan's, dominates the urban sk ...

Cathedral, the Honan Chapel at

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

, the Unitarian Church,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and St Mary’s Church, Haddington Road. Though his eyesight began to fail in 1937, he was associated with the studio until his death 1939.

References

External links

List of Child's work
{{DEFAULTSORT:Child, Alfred E. 1875 births 1939 deaths Artists from London English stained glass artists and manufacturers Arts and Crafts movement artists Academics of the Central School of Art and Design Artists from County Dublin