Born in Dublin, Jack Hanlon originally studied for the priesthood at University College Dublin, Holy Cross and Maynooth College, but had begun exhibiting at the RHA at the age of twenty-one. His 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 Henri Matisse whose fauvist style was similar
in ways to his own.
1939 was a significant year for Hanlon, as his work was included in an exhibition at the New York World Fair, and having completed his studies for the priesthood he was ordained. From that year on he enjoyed a steady run of exhibitions. From 1940 to 1968 he exhibited regularly with the Water Colour Society of Ireland, and had solo shows at the Victor Waddington Galleries in 1941, ’46, ’48 and ’53. During the war years he also designed Christmas Cards for Victor Waddington Publications. Hanlon was involved in setting up the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, sitting on the first executive committee in 1943 and exhibiting with them frequently.
He was commissioned to create murals 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 ecclesiastical commissions. He executed numerous oils for churches around the country and in 1957 designed and supervised the production of vestments that were made by a group of seven Sisters of the Convent of Perpetual Adoration, which were then presented to Pope Pius XII by the Irish Government. After the Waddington Gallery closed in Dublin he held solo shows with the Dawson Gallery in 1958, 1962 and 1965.
Jack Hanlon's work featured in the following exhibitions:
'A Celebration of Irish Art and Modernism' (2011). Please click here to view the catalogue.
'Ireland: Her People and Landscape' (2012). Please click here to view the catalogue.
'Gerard Dillon: Art and Friendships' (2013). Please click here to view the catalogue.
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