Property of a Private Collection

MAINIE JELLETT (IRISH 1897-1944)
Composition
gouache
23 x 18 cm

PROVENANCE:
European Modern Art, Dublin, 1991
Sale, Sotheby's, London, 23rd November 2006, lot 217
Private Collection, London

Mainie Jellett was an Irish artist born in 1897. She was a pioneering figure in the development of abstract art in Ireland and was one of the founders of the Irish Exhibition of Living Art.

Jellett's work was heavily influenced by the work of Kazimir Malevich, who was one of the pioneers of abstract art. She was particularly interested in his use of geometric shapes and the way in which he used colour to create a sense of depth and movement in his paintings. Her use of geometric shapes and bold colours has been particularly influential in shaping the aesthetic of modern abstract art.

Jellett was deeply religious, and her works often reflect a religious element or iconography. The presents works (Lots 22 and 23) may be an abstract head of Christ. Her religious beliefs helped her to weather criticism of her oeuvre in a country that was more used to representational art; conversely, the religious undertones helped to win people over and she is now recognised as a champion of the modern movement in Ireland.