It's Crawford O'Clarke
Michael Olney
A Cork city art gallery has announced a new addition to its collection, the first of its kind in almost 100 years.
Crawford Art Gallery recently bid for and bought ‘The Colloquy of Monos and Una’ by Irish artist Harry Clarke. Painted a century ago, it is the first Clarke work bought by the gallery in 99 years.
It is a colour plate illustration for a 1923 edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Tales of Mystery and Imagination’.
The richly coloured pencil, ink, and watercolour work depicts lovers Monos and Una reunited in the afterlife, as in Poe’s classic tale. Art deco influences can be seen in the elaborate clothing of the figures, while Clarke’s distinctive emphasis on eyes and elongated hands is evident.
‘The Colloquy of Monos and Una’ is the first Harry Clarke acquisition for Crawford Art Gallery since 1924, when two other illustrations from the same series, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and ‘Marie Rogêt’, were purchased alongside over 20 other pieces by Clarke.
The new acquisition brings to 27 the number of Clarke artworks in Crawford Art Gallery’s collection, including the three earliest examples of his stained glass work, which were conserved in 2023 with support from the Heritage Council .
Crawford Art Gallery has an annual winter exhibition of its Clarke works that is a firm favourite with gallery-goers. ‘The Colloquy of Monos and Una’ will be reunited with its studio companions after 99 years this Christmas, when it goes on display in Crawford Art Gallery’s current exhibition, HARRY CLARKE: Bad Romance.
“Crawford Art Gallery continues to build its collection with acquisitions of contemporary and historical works of significance,” Crawford Art Gallery director Mary McCarthy said.
“The work is in exceptional condition. We are very grateful to Minister Catherine Martin and colleagues in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media for their full support for this magical work by an exceptional artist.”
The Crawford acquisition is the second Harry Clarke piece to be brought into public ownership in recent weeks with the National Gallery purchasing a rare Clarke stained glass piece, ‘Titania Enchanting Bottom’ (1922) last week. It is in need of conservation work and will go on public display in Dublin in the New Year.
HARRY CLARKE: Bad Romance is open to the public until Sunday 18 February 2024. Christmas opening hours are as normal, with the exception of 25 and 26 December, and 1 January.