Gallery
Panel 8
All panels
The Geneva Window is a stained glass window consisting of 8 panels, created by Harry Clarke from 1927 to 1930. [1] [2] [3] It was originally commissioned by the Irish Free State government for the League of Nations' International Labour Building in Geneva. [3] However it was rejected, by W.T. Cosgrave and others, for being "offensive", [3] "too provocative" and "unrepresentative". [4] [5] [6] It was instead installed in Government Buildings on Merrion Square before being purchased by Clarke's widow, Margaret, in 1933 for its original cost of IR£450. [7] The window was exhibited at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin and by the Fine Art Society in London before being acquired by Mitchell Wolfson Jr. in 1988. [5] [8] [3]
Clarke was commissioned to produced the window to represent the Free State among other pieces of art from each League of Nations member state. He was free to choose the subject matter, choosing representations of literary characters from 15 Irish texts. [3] [9] [10] The production of the window was hampered by Clarke's struggle with tuberculosis. [3]
Each panel features a quote or stanza from the featured literary work. Among the subjects are nudes, sex work, people suffering poverty, and drunkeness. [11]
The first panel represents Patrick Pearse's The Wayfarer and Lady Gregory's The Story Brought by Brigit feature's Saint Brigid. [12]
Joan of Arc as depicted in George Bernard Shaw's play St. Joan is featured in the second panel. [12]
The characters of Christy Mahon and Pegeen Mike, from J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World and fairies from Seumas O'Sullivan's poem The Others are featured in the third panel. [12]
Three Demigods as depicted in James Stephens' novel Demi-Gods, and Joxer Daly, from Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock is depicted in the fourth panel. [12]
Irish Republican Robert Emmett as characterised in Lennox Robinson's ode "The Dreamers", and the title character from W.B. Yeats' The Countess Cathleen are depicted in the fifth panel. [12]
The sixth panel features and title characters, from George William Russell's Deirdre and from Mr. Gilhooley by Liam O'Flaherty. [12] The original panel was removed due to damage, [13] but sold separately. The Hugh Lane Gallery gallery acquired the piece from the Fine Art Society, London, for UK£35,000 in 2015. [14]
A peasant woman, from Padraic Colum's A Cradle Song and the suspected changeling Jamoney Shanahan from George Fitzmaurice's The Magic Glasses feature in the seventh panel. [12]
A gravedigger and the weaver's widow from Seumas O'Kelly's The Weaver's Grave and a bard representing James Joyce's Chamber Music are featured in the eight panel. [12]
Upon completion the window was installed in Government Buildings in Dublin. [7] Free State officials, including President of the Executive Council W.T. Cosgrave judged the window to be too controversial in nature, by virtue of the subject matter more than the images themselves to be approved. [7] Cosgrove described it as a "most remarkable and successful artistic achievement", but feared that the inclusion of certain authors might give "grave offence to many of our people.". [7]
Bishop of Killaloe Michael Fogarty was "much impressed by the work", objected to Seumas O'Sullivan's inclusion, but felt that to replace it would be detrimental to the work as a whole. [7] Ultimately government's fear of adverse public opinion for the art or the subject of the art determined that the work was not sent to Geneva. It was sold to Clarke's widow Margaret in 1933. [7]
The work was the subject of a documentary, "The Geneva Window: Through a Glass Darkly" by Irish actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon. [12]
Ardal O'Hanlon is an Irish comedian, actor, and author. He played Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted (1995–1998), George Sunday/Thermoman in My Hero (2000–2006), and DI Jack Mooney in Death in Paradise (2017–2020). His novel The Talk of the Town was published in 1998.
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RGRE Grafton Ltd v Bewley's Cafe Grafton Street Ltd and Bewley’s Ltd is an Irish legal case in the High Court between building owners RGRE Grafton Ltd and tenants Bewley's Cafe Grafton Street Ltd and Bewley's Ltd. The case related to non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. RGRE sought a declaration that the stained-glass windows, designed by Harry Clarke, at Bewley's Oriental Café on Grafton Street in Dublin form part of the building and therefore belong to the landlord, as opposed to decorative panels that belong to the tenants.