Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish

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 and book illustrator. Born in

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 ...

, he was a leading figure in the Irish

Arts and Crafts Movement The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and America. Initiat ...

. His work was influenced by both the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

movements. His stained glass was particularly informed by the French

Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

movement.

Early life

Henry Patrick Clarke was born on 17 March 1889, the younger son and third child of Joshua Clarke and Brigid (née MacGonigal) Clarke. Joshua Clarke was a church decorator who moved to Dublin from

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

in 1877 and started a decorating business, Joshua Clarke & Sons, which later incorporated a stained glass division. Through his work with his father, Clarke was exposed to many schools of art but Art Nouveau in particular. Clarke was educated at the Model School in Marlborough Street, Dublin and

Belvedere College Belvedere College Society of Jesus, S.J. (sometimes St Francis Xavier's College) is a fee-paying voluntary secondary school for boys in Dublin, Ireland. Formally established in 1832 at Hardwicke Street in north inner city Dublin, the school was ...

, which he left in 1905. He was devastated by the death of his mother in 1903 when he was only 14 years old. Clarke was then apprenticed into his father's studio and attended evening classes in the Metropolitan College of Art and Design. His ''The Consecration of St Mel,

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...

, by

St Patrick Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints being Brigid of Kildare and Columba ...

'' won the gold medal for stained glass work in the 1910 Board of Education National Competition. He won the Gold Medal for stained glass at the 1911, 1912, and 1913 South Kensington National Competitions. He also exhibited at the 1912 International Art Congress in Dresden, Germany, and the 1914 at the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

in Paris. At the art school in Dublin, Clarke met fellow artist and teacher, Margaret Crilley. They married on 31 October 1914 and moved into a flat at 33

North Frederick Street North Frederick Street is a Georgian architecture, Georgian street in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland which connects Parnell Square East with Dorset Street, Dublin, Dorset Street. The street is intersected by Hardwicke Street and Gardiner R ...

. In subsequent years the Clarkes lived in various locations in Dublin, including a semi-detached house in Cabra in which Margaret Clarke painted her husband at work. The Clarkes had three children, Michael, David, and Ann.

Career

Book illustration

Clarke briefly moved to London to seek work as a book illustrator. Picked up by London publisher Harrap, he started with two commissions which were never completed:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...

's ''

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' (originally ''The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere''), written by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797–98 and published in 1798 in the first edition of '' Lyrical Ballads'', is a poem that recounts th ...

'' (much of his work on which was destroyed during the 1916

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

in Dublin) and an illustrated edition of

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...

's ''

The Rape of the Lock ''The Rape of the Lock'' is a mock-heroic narrative poem written by Alexander Pope. One of the most commonly cited examples of high burlesque, it was first published anonymously in Lintot's ''Miscellaneous Poems and Translations'' (May 1712) ...

''. Clarke was commissioned by the Committee of the Irish National War Memorial in 1919 to illustrate the '' Ireland's Memorial Records 1914-1918,'' a roll of honour for the 49,435 Irish who died during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Illustrations for the 8 volumes were completed in 1922 and published in 1923, and a set is on display in the

Irish National War Memorial Gardens The Irish National War Memorial Gardens () is an Irish war memorial in Islandbridge, Dublin, dedicated "to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914–1918",Dúchas The Heritage Service, Visitors Guide ...

. 100 copies of the book were distributed to cathedrals and libraries across Ireland and to other Allied countries. Each page features a large four-sided border of black and white illustrations by Clarke. Difficulties with these projects made ''Fairy Tales by

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

'' his first printed work, in 1916. It included 16 colour plates and more than 24

halftone Halftone is the reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone, continuous-tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size or in spacing, thus generating a gradient-like effect.Campbell, Alastair. ''The Designer's Lexicon''. ...

illustrations. This was followed by illustrations for an edition of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

's ''Tales of Mystery and Imagination'': the first version of that title was restricted to halftone illustrations, while a second with eight colour plates and more than 24 halftone images was published in 1923. This 1923 edition made his reputation as a book illustrator, during the golden age of gift-book illustration in the first quarter of the twentieth century. It was followed by editions of ''The Years at the Spring'', with 12 colour plates and more than 14 monotone images; ( Lettice D'Oyly Walters, ed., 1920),

Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...

's ''Fairy Tales of Perrault'', and

Goethe's Faust ''Faust'' ( , ) is a tragedy, tragic Play (theatre), play in two parts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, usually known in English as ''Faust, Part One'' and ''Faust, Part Two''. Nearly all of Part One and the majority of Part Two are written in rh ...

, with eight colour plates and more than 70 halftone and

duotone Duotone (sometimes also known as ''Duplex'') is a halftone reproduction of an image using the superimposition of one contrasting color halftone over another color halftone. This is most often used to bring out middle tones and highlights of an ...

images (New York: Hartsdale House, 1925). The last of these is his most famous work, prefiguring the imagery of 1960s

psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...

. Two of his most sought-after titles are promotional booklets for

Jameson Irish Whiskey Jameson () is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton Distillery in ...

: ''A History of a Great House'' (1924, and subsequent reprints) and ''Elixir of Life'' (1925), which was written by Geofrey Warren. His final book, ''Selected Poems of

Algernon Charles Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist and critic. He wrote many plays – all tragedies – and collections of poetry such as '' Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the Eleve ...

'', was published in 1928.

Stained glass

Clarke produced more than 130 windows; he and his brother Walter had taken over his father's studio after his death in 1921. His glass is distinguished by the finesse of its drawing and his use of rich colours, and innovative integration of the window leading as part of the overall design, originally inspired by an early visit to see the stained glass of the

Cathedral of Chartres Chartres Cathedral (, lit. Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary ('Our Lady'), it was mostly co ...

. He was especially fond of deep blues. Clarke's use of heavy lines in his black-and-white book illustrations echoes his glass techniques. Clarke's stained glass work includes many religious windows, but also much secular stained glass. Highlights of the former include his first and finest work - the 11 windows of the

Honan Chapel The Honan Chapel (, formally Saint Finbarr's Collegiate Chapel and The Honan Hostel Chapel) is a small Catholic church built in the Hiberno-Romanesque revival style on the grounds of University College Cork, Ireland. Designed in 1914, the build ...

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 ...

; of the latter, a window illustrating

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tub ...

' '' The Eve of St. Agnes'' (now in the

Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery The Hugh Lane Gallery, and originally the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, is an art museum operated by Dublin City Council and its wholly-owned company, the Hugh Lane Gallery Trust. It is in Charlemont House (built 1763) on Parnell Square, Dub ...

in Dublin) and the ''

Geneva Window The ''Geneva Window'' is a stained glass window consisting of eight panels, created by Harry Clarke from 1927 to 1930. It was originally commissioned by the Irish Free State government for the International Labour Organization#ILO headquarters, ...

'', created for the

Centre William Rappard The Centre William Rappard at Rue de Lausanne 154, Geneva, Switzerland, was built between 1923 and 1926 to house the International Labour Office (ILO). It was the first building in Geneva designed to house an international organization. In 1975 t ...

in Geneva, Switzerland (now in the Wolfsonian Museum, Miami, Florida, US). Perhaps his most seen works were the windows he made for Bewley's Café on Dublin's

Grafton Street Grafton Street () is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city centre — the other being Henry Street. It runs from St Stephen's Green in the south (at the highest point of the street) to College Green in the north (the low ...

, which were subject to court proceedings in 2022 in a dispute between landlord and tenant over ownership, as ''

RGRE v Bewley's ''RGRE Grafton Ltd v Bewley's Cafe Grafton Street Ltd and Bewley’s Ltd'' is an Irish legal case in the High Court between building owners RGRE Grafton Ltd and tenants Bewley's Cafe Grafton Street Ltd and Bewley's Ltd. The case related to non-pa ...

''.

Later years and death

CommemorativePlaqueHarryClarke-FriedhofHofChur RomanDeckert22072023-02

Both Harry and his brother Walter were plagued with ill health, in particular problems with their lungs. Clarke was diagnosed with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

in 1929, and went to a sanatorium in

Davos Davos (, ; or ; ; Old ) is an Alpine resort town and municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Region in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of (). Davos is located on the river Landwasser, in the Rhaetian ...

, Switzerland. Fearing that he would die abroad, he began his journey back to Dublin in 1931, but died on 6 January 1931 in

Chur '' Chur (locally) or ; ; ; ; ; ; or ; , and . is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, town of the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of the Grisons and lies in the Alpine Rhine, Grisonian Rhine Valley, where ...

where he was buried. A headstone was erected, but local law required that the family pledge to maintain the grave 15 years after the death. This was not explained to the Clarke family and Harry Clarke's remains were disinterred in 1946 and reburied in a communal grave.

Legacy

In 2019 a bridge in

Cabra, Dublin Cabra () is an inner suburb on the northside of Dublin city in Ireland. It is approximately northwest of the city centre, in the administrative area of Dublin City Council. It was commonly known as Cabragh until the early 20th century. Large ...

, was renamed "Harry Clarke Bridge" in his honour.

Gallery

Stained glass

File:Cork - Honan Chapel - Saint Gobnait by Harry Clarke (Detail).jpg, The Saint Gobnait window,

, Cork, 1916 File:Longford St. Mel's Cathedral West Transept Window Sts. Anne and Mary by Richard King 2019 08 22.jpg, St Anne and Mary,

St Mel's Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Mel is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, located in the town of Longford in Ireland. Built between 1840 and 1856, with the belfry and portico as later additions, it has b ...

, Longford, 1932 File:Dingle Presentation Convent Chapel Harry Clarke Window The Baptism of Jesus.jpg, Chapel of the Sacred Heart, Dingle, ''The Baptism of Jesus'', 1922–24 File:Duhill Church of Saint John the Baptist Window Vision of Bernadette at Lourdes by Harry Clarke Detail Our Lady of Lourdes 2012 09 08.jpg, "Vision of Bernadette at Lourdes", Church of Saint John the Baptist, Duhill,

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

, 1925 File:Queens whose finger once did stir men.jpg, ''Queens whose finger once did stir men'' ("Queens"), 1917

Illustrations

File:Ligeia-Clarke.jpg, Illustration for

's "

Ligeia "Ligeia" () is an early short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1838. The story follows an unnamed narrator and his wife Ligeia, a beautiful and intelligent raven-haired woman. She falls ill, composes " The Conqueror W ...

", 1923 File:Page 28 illustration from Fairy tales of Charles Perrault (Clarke, 1922).png, ''The Fairy'', from Fairy tales of

, 1922 File:Harry Clarke The Colloquy of Monos and Una.jpg, ''The Colloquy of Monos and Una'', Edgar Allan Poe series, 1923 File:Page 002 (Faust, 1925).png, Faust, page 2, 1925 File:Clarke - The Two Distilleries on the Same Hill (1925).png, From ''Elixir of Life'', G. C. Warren, 1925 File:Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen (Harry Clarke).jpg, From Fairy Tales of

, 1916

Works

As illustrator

* Andersen, H. C. — ''The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen'', George Harrap, London, 1916 * Poe, E. A. — ''Tales of Mystery and Imagination'', George Harrap, London, 1919 * Walters, L. d'O. — ''The Year's at the Spring'', George Harrap, London, 192
''The Year's at the Spring'' via HathiTrust
* Perrault, C. — ''The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault'', George Harrap, London, 1922 * _____ ''Ireland's Memorial Records 1914–1918,'' Maunsel and Roberts, Dublin, 192
Volume Five via Trinity College Dublin
* Warren, G. C. — ''The History of a Great House,'' John Jameson & Son, Dublin, 1924 * Warren, G. C. — ''Elixir of Life '' John Jameson & Son, Dublin, 1925 * Goethe, J. W. von — ''Faust'', George Harrap, London, 1925 * Swinburne, A. C. — ''Selected Poems of Charles Swinburne, John'' Lane, London, 1928

References

External links

Harry Clarke Stained Glass Site

Harry Clarke's family tree
* *
Harry Clarke's Looking Glass
at The Public Domain Review
Stained Glass Studio Archive
at Trinity College Dublin {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Harry Irish illustrators Irish children's book illustrators Swiss children's book illustrators Irish stained glass artists and manufacturers 1889 births 1931 deaths Arts and Crafts movement artists Irish fantasy artists Swiss fantasy artists Alumni of the National College of Art and Design People associated with University College Cork People educated at Belvedere College Tuberculosis deaths in Switzerland 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Illustrators of fairy tales Mac Conghail family Artists from Dublin (city) 20th-century Irish illustrators

Early life

Career

Book illustration

Stained glass

Later years and death

Legacy

Gallery

Stained glass

Illustrations

Works

As illustrator

See also

References

Further reading

External links