Morgan O'Driscoll Irish & International Art Auction 12th November 2018

136 121 Father Jack P. Hanlon (1913-1968) Boats in the Afternoon (1943) signed lower right and dated (19)’43, titled on reverse oil on canvas 30.5 x 40.5cm (12 x 16in) Provenance: De Vere’s, Dublin, Irish Art Auction, 3rd October 2006, Lot 18: Private Collection €2,500-€3,500 (£2,232-£3,125) Jack Hanlon was born in Dublin and following his education at Belvedere College and UCD he studied for the priesthood at Holy Cross College , Clon- iffe and Maynooth College. Strongly influenced by his mother he had always an interest in art and his art training mainly involved the art of looking, as he spent time in France, Belgium and Spain where he visited galleries, museums and cathedrals looking for inspiration. His formal training consisted of a spell at the studio of Andre Lhote in Paris, where he met and was influenced by Henri Matisse whose fauvist style was similar in ways to his own. His work was included in an exhibition at the New York World Fair in 1939, the year he was ordained and from that year on he enjoyed a steady run of exhibitions. In 1940 he exhibited along with Mainie Jellett, Evie Hone, Norah McGuinness and others in a group show ‘Six Irish Artists from L’Académie Lhote ‘ at the Contemporary Picture Galleries where he held a solo exhibition in 1943. His first solo show was at the Victor Waddington Galleries in 1941 and several others followed in 1946, 1948 and 1953. After the Waddington Gallery closed in Dublin he held solo shows with the Dawson Gallery in 1958, 1962 and 1965. He exhibited regularly with the Water Colour Society of Ireland, the Dublin Painters Gallery and at the annual Oireachtas art exhibitions. Hanlon was involved in setting up the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, sitting on the first executive committee in 1943 and exhibited with them frequently. He was very active on the committee until his death in 1968. During his lifetime he held solo exhibitions in London, Paris, Brussels and Curacao, Venezuela. In 1950 he was commissioned to create a mural 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 many ecclesiastical com- missions. He executed numerous oils for churches around the country. This early work from 1943 is quite typical of Hanlon’s work with its light pastel colour palette and Dufy style composition.