Richard King (artist)
Encyclopedia
Richard Joseph King was an Irish
stained glass
artist and illustrator. He was born in Castlebar
, County Mayo
, Ireland, where his father was a sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary
. In 1926 he became a student at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art and he entered the stained glass studio of Harry Clarke
in 1928. Clarke died in early 1931, of tuberculosis
while trying to recuperate in Switzerland
. King completed the ongoing work on the windows of St. Mel’s Cathedral in Longford, and managed the studio from 1935 to 1940. He then worked independently from his own studio in Dalkey
. Among his works are the stained glass windows of St. Jude's Shrine, Faversham
and St. Anthony's church in Athlone.
Many of his illustrations are to be found in the Capuchin Annual
from 1940 onwards.
Between 1933 and 1949 he designed twelve Irish postage stamps
. They are: Holy Year, 1933; Constitution, 1937; St. Patrick, 1937; Davitt and Parnell, 1946; Four Air Mail Issues, 1948/194949; G.A.A., 1934; Four Masters, 1944; Thomas Davis, 1945; James Clarence Mangan, 1949.
He died at his home in Raheny
on St Patrick's Day, 1974
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
artist and illustrator. He was born in Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland, where his father was a sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
. In 1926 he became a student at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art and he entered the stained glass studio of Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.- History :...
in 1928. Clarke died in early 1931, of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
while trying to recuperate in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. King completed the ongoing work on the windows of St. Mel’s Cathedral in Longford, and managed the studio from 1935 to 1940. He then worked independently from his own studio in Dalkey
Dalkey
Dalkey is suburb of Dublin and seaside resort in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement and became an important port during the Middle Ages. According to John Clyn, it was one of the ports through which the plague entered Ireland in the mid-14th century...
. Among his works are the stained glass windows of St. Jude's Shrine, Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
and St. Anthony's church in Athlone.
Capuchin Annual
The Capuchin Annual was an Irish annual publication published every year in Dublin by the Capuchins from 1930 to 1977. The motto of the publication was Do chum Glóire Dé agus Onóra na hÉireann .-History:...
from 1940 onwards.
Between 1933 and 1949 he designed twelve Irish postage stamps
Postage stamps of Ireland
The postage stamps of Ireland are issued by the postal operator of the independent Irish state. Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland when the world's first postage stamps were issued in 1840. These stamps, and all subsequent British issues, were used in Ireland until...
. They are: Holy Year, 1933; Constitution, 1937; St. Patrick, 1937; Davitt and Parnell, 1946; Four Air Mail Issues, 1948/194949; G.A.A., 1934; Four Masters, 1944; Thomas Davis, 1945; James Clarence Mangan, 1949.
He died at his home in Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
on St Patrick's Day, 1974