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WHYTES
SINCE 1783
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25
27
Mary Swanzy HRHA (1882-1978)
REVOLUTION, 1942
oil on canvas
signed and dated [1943] lower right; with Taylor Gallery, label on reverse
12 by 22in. (30.48 by 55.88cm)
Provenance:
Taylor Gallery, Dublin;
Private collection
Exhibited:
Taylor Gallery, Dublin, 26 October to 6 November 1982, catalogue no. 30
The composition and colour of the present example are immediate and striking and contrast greatly
with Swanzy’s gentle rhythmic landscapes of her earlier Cubist phase. From the 1930s and 40s her
work changed direction dramatically and she became more concerned with mood, symbolism and
the war ravaged world around her. Here the fantastic and almost grotesque characters demand the
viewer’s attention be drawn into the scene. The crowd in the middle ground give a sense of intensity
to the work as they surge towards a point beyond view to the left of the canvas.
€
4,000-
€
6,000 (£2,960-£4,440 approx.)