Norah McGuinness HRHA (1901-1980) Melon on Terrace Table (1950) Oil on canvas, 55.5 x 89cm (21¾ x 35'') Signed; inscribed with title verso 'Terrace Table with Melon' Provenance: With Taylor Galleries, Dublin, March/April 1979, where purchased by the current owner. In the early 20th century Irish Art was steeped in tradition. The formation of the Free State in 1922 saw a nation scrambling to recapture its identity, focussing on academic depictions of rural life to separate them from an ever more modern Britain. For those artists who wished to escape this insularity, continental Europe provided the perfect opportunity. Like many Irish artists before her, Norah McGuinness travelled to Paris in 1929 to study under André Lhote and was immersed in the excitement of the European art scene. Under Lhote, McGuinness learned Cubism but, within her circles, she would have been exposed to Fauvism, Impressionism, Futurism and a myriad of ideologies in between. Leaving Paris, McGuinness took what she had learned and went to London where she briefly settled until WWII convinced her that it was time to return to Ireland. Arriving in Dublin alongside many fellow artists in the same position, McGuinness found a country devoid of new thought. Art remained in the clutches of academia, with the RHA acting as the sole exhibition space for contemporary artists. Dissatisfied, the Irish Exhibition of Living Art was established in 1943, with McGuinness among its founding members. A year later, McGuinness succeeded Mainie Jellett as president of the foundation and she continued to head it for over twenty years, encouraging and promoting modern art in Ireland. The IELA served as a platform for non-academic artists to show their works and, following the end of the War, continental artists were invited to exhibit their pieces also, creating an influx of modern ideals to the country. Suddenly, pieces by Hockney, Picasso, Manet and Miro were all accessible from Dublin and the artistic revolution was well underway. A pioneer for the modern art movement, Norah McGuinness was selected, alongside Nano Reid, to represent Ireland at the 1950 Venice Biennale. This was the first time that Ireland had entered the exhibition and it was therefore paramount that they put their best work forward. Believing that the unique styles of Reid and McGuinness could proudly hold their own against paintings by Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, they were sent off with twelve works each. The exhibition was a success, with the Italian president even purchasing one of McGuinness' works. In the same year, McGuinness painted the current lot, 'Melon on Terrace Table'. A joyful and eclectic mix of different styles, this work oozes continental charm and demonstrates McGuinness as someone who is acutely aware of the progress ravaging the art world. The neon yellow table tips its hat to the Fauves, whilst the flattened subject matter and distorted perspective shows Lhote's Cubist legacy. Furthermore, the swift, loose treatment of the spoon and cloth belie the influence of early 20th century Impressionism, yet the image is distinctly McGuinness. The bold lines remember her time as an illustrator and the carefully placed items are reminiscent of her days in set design. A beautiful piece, 'Melon on Terrace Table' is representative of mid-20th century Irish art in that, rather than following a specific and doctored method of painting, it is all-inclusive, allowing the scene's energy to dictate the style.