The National Gallery of Ireland is pleased to announce the winner of the annual Sarah Cecilia Harrison Essay Prize 2023. John Christopher Vaughan was awarded a €1,000 prize at a reception held in the Gallery on 30 November 2023 for his essay In the Mood for God: Colour and Mysticism in the Art of Mary Swanzy.

Sarah Cecilia Harrison was an accomplished and talented artist and curator, as well as an advocate of social reform and women’s rights in Ireland in the early-twentieth century. The Sarah Cecilia Harrison Essay Prize marks her legacy in the arts and as a social campaigner.  It recognises the best new research and writing that tells the stories of women and of Ireland’s visual culture including fine art, design and craft. Entrants presented5,000 word essays following a call for submissions in summer 2023. The prize was open to all members of the public over 18 years of age. 

John Christopher Vaughan is from Dublin. In 2021 he graduated with an MA in Writing from the Royal College of Art, London.  John writes that this essay “was at first an attempt to develop a cubist form of writing that would express the kaleidoscopic nature of her cubist paintings, the excitement, the speed, the disorienting abundance and the disorienting speed with which that abundance disappears that seemed to anticipate contemporary life, our life, now, the beauty and the horror, the internet, the feed. It was going to be a breathless, schizoid torrent. It was going to be Deleuzian. It was going to be practically unreadable. Then it was one word. It was hours and hours spent dwelling on that word, that one word. Then it was one image. It was Mary Swanzy at a friends' house, sitting at the dinner table single-mindedly pursuing a single grain of rice. It was that image, the indefensible pursuit of something so miniscule and insignificant and yet so essential to the one pursuing it. This essay is a portrait, a close reading, an ode. It is my single grain of rice.”

Anne Chisholm, benefactor of the Sarah Cecilia Harrison Essay Prize, commented:  “It has been fascinating and rewarding to encounter the range of responses in this years’ entry. My great aunt Celia would be amazed and I hope gratified.”

Leah Benson, Archivist at the National Gallery of Ireland, added:  “The Library and Archives department in the National Gallery have, for some time now, been working to ensure our research collections and our outreach initiatives demonstrate an increased focus on women in the visual arts in Ireland. This year the panel were pleased to be presented with a broad variety of essays, in subject matter and writing style. The topics covered included contemporary and performance art, design, feminism and modernism. They demonstrate the wealth of stories still to be told in relation to women in the arts in Ireland.”

The central role played by women artists in the development and dissemination of modernist art in Ireland is well documented. However, the broader story of women artists in Ireland and their achievements has often gone forgotten or been viewed as ancillary to the standard canon. Archives and primary research are essential to understanding and revealing these stories. Through the development of the Gallery’s collections, engagement and learning programmes, the Gallery’s Library and Archives, in particular the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art (CSIA), have worked to promote Irish women artists as well as female led collectives and industries. 

This prize is generously supported by the descendants of the sister of Sarah Cecilia Harrison, Beatrice Chisholm. 

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

• Images of the ceremony are available upon request.
• Archivist at the National Gallery of Ireland, Leah Benson, is available for interview.

About the National Gallery of Ireland:

The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions housing the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive Library & Archive. Entry to the collection is free for all to enjoy, learn and be inspired. Tickets are required for some temporary exhibitions. 

About the Gallery’s Library and Archives:

The Gallery’s Library and Archives hold important and valuable collections of research material, held at the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art (ESB CSIA); the Yeats Archive; and the Gallery’s Institutional Archives. These collections support the study and scholarly interpretation of visual art in Ireland. 

Fógraítear gurb é John Christopher Vaughan buaiteoir na Duaise Aiste Sarah Cecilia Harrison de chuid Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann

Tá áthas ar Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann an buaiteoir a fhógairt den Duais Aiste bliantúil Sarah Cecilia Harrison 2023. Bronnadh €1,000 arJohn Christopher Vaughan ag fáiltiú a reáchtáladh sa Ghailearaí ar 30 Samhain 2023 don aiste a scríobh sé dar teideal In the Mood for God: Colour and Mysticism in the Art of Mary Swanzy.

B’ealaíontóir agus coimeádaí cumasach agus éirimiúil í Sarah Cecilia Harrison. D’oibrigh sí freisin ar son leasuithe sóisialta agus chearta na mban in Éirinn go luath san fhichiú aois. Leis an Duais Aiste seo, ceiliúrtar an oidhreacht a d’fhág sí sna healaíona agus mar fheachtasóir sóisialta.  Aithníonn sé an taighde agus an scríbhneoireacht is fearr a insíonn scéalta na mban, agus amharc-chultúr na hÉireann, lena n-áirítear mínealaín, dearadh agus ceardaíocht. Chuir na hiarratasóirí aistí 5,000 focal isteach nuair a rinneadh gairm ar iarratais i samhradh 2023. Bhí an duais oscailte do gach ball den phobal os cionn 18 mbliana d’aois. 

Is as Baile Átha Cliath é John Christopher Vaughan. Sa bhliain 2021 bhain sé céim mháistreachta amach ó Choláiste Ríoga Ealaín Londain. Scríobhann John go raibh san aiste seo ná “iarracht foirm scríbhneoireachta chiúbaíoch a fhorbairt a léireodh nádúr ilathraitheach a pictiúirí ciúbaíocha, an fuadar, an luas, an fhliúirse mhearbhlach agus an chaoi a imíonn an fhliúirse sin, ár saol anois, an áilleacht agus an t-uasfás, an t-idirlín, an fotha – tuile scitsifréineach, ar nós Deleuze.  Bheadh sé beagnach doléite. Ansin ní raibh ann ach focal amháin, uaireanta an chloig caite ar an bhfocal sin, an focal sin amháin. Ansin ní raibh ann ach íomhá amháin. Mary Swanzy i dteach cara léi, ina suí ag an mbord ag tabhairt, go huile is go hiomlán, faoi ghráinne rise amháin a ghabháil.  Ba í an íomhá sin, tóraíocht nach féidir a chosaint, ar rud chomh beag neamhthábhachtach sin, ach ag an am céanna chomh tábhachtach sin don duine atá sa tóir air.  Is portráid í an aiste seo, óid. Is í mo ghráinne rís amháin í.”

Dúirt Anne Chisholm, bronntóir na Duaise Aiste Sarah Cecilia Harrison: “Bhí sé thar a bheith suimiúil agus fiúntach iarratais na bliana seo a léamh. Gan dabht bheadh iontas ar mo sheanaintín Celia agus tá súil agam go mbeadh sí an-sásta.”

Dúirt Leah Benson freisin, Cartlannaí Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann: “Le tamall anois, táimid ag obair anseo sa Leabharlann agus Cartlanna ar bhéim níos láidre a chur inár mbailiúcháin taighde agus inár dtionscnamh for-rochtana, ar mhná sna hamharc-ealaíona in Éirinn. I mbliana bhí áthas ar an bpainéal gur cuireadh i láthair réimse leathan d’aistí maidir le hábhar agus stíl scríbhneoireachta. Sna topaicí a clúdaíodh bhí ealaín chomhaimseartha agus taibhléirithe, dearadh, feimineachas agus nua-aoiseachas. Léiríonn siad fliúirse na scéalta atá fós le hinsint maidir le mná sna healaíona in Éirinn.”

Tá neart fianaise ann maidir leis an ról lárnach a d’imir ban-ealaíontóirí nuair a bhí an ealaín nua-aoiseach á forbairt agus á scaipeadh in Éirinn. Mar sin féin, rinneadh dearmad go minic ar éachta na mban-ealaíontóirí in Éirinn agus fágadh ar lár iad nó níor glacadh leo sa chanóin chaighdeánach.  Is rud ríthábhachtach iad cartlanna agus buntaighde chun na scéalta seo a nochtadh agus a thuiscint. Trí fhorbairt a dhéanamh ar bhailiúcháin, agus ar chláir rannpháirteachais agus foghlama an Ghailearaí, tá an-obair déanta ag Leabharlann agus Cartlanna an Ghailearaí, go háirithe Ionad BSL um Staidéar ar an Ealaín Éireannach, chun ban-ealaíontóirí Éireannacha a chur chun cinn chomh maith le comharghrúpaí agus tionscail faoi cheannas na mban.

Faightear tacaíocht fhlaithiúil don duais seo ó chlann dheirfiúr Sarah Cecilia Harrison, Beatrice Chisholm. 

DEIREADH

Nótaí don Eagarthóir:

• Tá íomhanna den searmanas a thóg Naoise Culhane ar fáil ach iad a iarraidh.
• Tá an cartlannaí Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann, Leah Benson, ar fáil chun agallamh a dhéanamh. 

Faoi Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann:

Tá Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann ar cheann de na hionaid is mó sa tír a mheallann cuairteoirí. Is ann atá bailiúchán na tíre d’ealaín Eorpach agus Éireannach ó thart ar 1300 go dtí an lá atá inniu ann, mar aon le Leabharlann & Cartlann mór. Níl aon chostas ar dhul isteach chun taitneamh a bhaint, rudaí a fhoghlaim agus inspioráid a fháil. Do roinnt taispeántais shealadacha ní mór ticéid a cheannach. 

Faoi Leabharlann agus Cartlanna an Ghailearaí:

Tá ábhar bailiúcháin tábhachtach agus luachmhar á choimeád i Leabharlann agus i gCartlanna an Ghailearaí, in Ionad BSL um Staidéar ar an Ealaín Éireannach; Cartlann Yeats; agus Cartlanna institiúideacha an Ghailearaí. Tacaíonn na bailiúcháin seo le staidéar agus léirmhíniú léannta a dhéanamh ar an amharc-ealaín in Éirinn.