George Russell Æ (1867-1935)
Gathering Firewood
Oil on canvas, 53 x 80cm (20¾ x 31½")
Signed with monogram

Born in Co. Armagh, George Russell moved to Dublin when he was eleven. His...

George Russell Æ (1867-1935)
Gathering Firewood
Oil on canvas, 53 x 80cm (20¾ x 31½")
Signed with monogram

Born in Co. Armagh, George Russell moved to Dublin when he was eleven. His interest in painting led him to undertake evening classes at the Metropolitan School of Art and it was here that he met and befriended William Butler Yeats. Yeats encouraged Russell in his more creative pursuits and introduced him to Theosophy, a religious study that places emphasis on the natural world and mystical experience.

Russell immersed himself in these teachings and he began to write for journals such as the Irish Theosophist. It was in these articles that his pseudonym, AE, first appeared, a shortened version of Aeon and a nod towards an eternal being. His beliefs also carried through into his artwork. In some pieces, Russell blatantly made reference to supernatural occurrences, depicting imp-like figures in fairy-tale worlds. Others, such as the current lot, are more subtle in their approach, caressing everyday scenes with an arcadian cloak.

Here, the birch wood is transformed into a leafy idyll. The dappled sunshine spots the ground below whilst the foliage glitters in the descending rays. Three figures move through the trees, engaged in collecting firewood. By blurring their faces, Russell creates a sense of mystery around their identity, elevating them slightly from the human realm and allowing them to pass seamlessly through this magical vista. Russells impressionistic approach further dulls our sense of reality, the soft textures mimicking the fuzzy warmth of dreams.

It was Russells desire to nurture an Irish school of art, a rival to those emerging on the European continent, but, in 1928, Russell left Dublin and embarked on a series of US lecture tours. He prioritised his literary works over his painting and never quite reached the acclaim that he deserved during his lifetime.

Russell died in 1935 as a poet, critic, philosopher and some-time painter, but his contribution to Irish art cannot be overlooked. Through his images, we are invited to experience an ideology that was bubbling underneath Irish society at the turn of the 20th century. Theosophy touched several well-known names at the time but it is through George Russell that we truly understand the effect that it took on their creative processes.

Helena Carlyle, September 2021

 

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