Sarah Cecilia Harrison
Encyclopedia
Sarah Cecilia Harrison was an Irish artist and the first woman to serve on Dublin City Council
.
Harrison, who went by the name Cecilia, was born to an affluent family in Holywood, County Down. She was the great grand-niece of Henry Joy McCracken
. When she was 10 her father died and the family relocated to London. She studied under Alphonse Legros
at the Slade School of Fine Art
from 1878 to 1885. She travelled widely on the continent as part of her studies.
In 1889 she moved to Dublin and established herself as one of Ireland's foremost portrait artists. She submitted 60 paintings to the Royal Hibernian Academy
's annual exhibition and numerous other works to the Royal Academy
in London during her career. She was an honorary academician of the Royal Ulster Academy of Fine Arts.
Harrison's brother was a supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell
and a Member of Parliament
for Tipperary
. Harrison herself became the first female city councillor for Dublin Corporation
in 1912. She campaigned to have Poor relief
extended to the able-bodied unemployed and worked for women's rights.
She was closely involved in Hugh Lane
's efforts to establish a gallery of modern art in Dublin. Following Lane's death on the Lusitania
in 1915, she claimed that they had been engaged to be married. Her 1914 portrait of Lane is one of her best-known works. Harrison never married.
Harrison's artistic style is precise and realistic. There are examples of her work in the collections of the National Gallery of Ireland
, the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Office of Public Works
, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
and the Ulster Museum
.
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
.
Harrison, who went by the name Cecilia, was born to an affluent family in Holywood, County Down. She was the great grand-niece of Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
. When she was 10 her father died and the family relocated to London. She studied under Alphonse Legros
Alphonse Legros
Alphonse Legros , painter, etcher and sculptor was born in Dijon. His father was an accountant, and came from the neighbouring village of Véronnes....
at the Slade School of Fine Art
Slade School of Fine Art
The Slade School of Fine Art is a world-renownedart school in London, United Kingdom, and a department of University College London...
from 1878 to 1885. She travelled widely on the continent as part of her studies.
In 1889 she moved to Dublin and established herself as one of Ireland's foremost portrait artists. She submitted 60 paintings to the Royal Hibernian Academy
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823.-History:The RHA was founded as the result of 30 Irish artists petitioning the government for a charter of incorporation...
's annual exhibition and numerous other works to the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in London during her career. She was an honorary academician of the Royal Ulster Academy of Fine Arts.
Harrison's brother was a supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
and a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
. Harrison herself became the first female city councillor for Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
in 1912. She campaigned to have Poor relief
Poor relief
Poor Relief refers to any actions taken by either governmental or ecclesiastical bodies to relieve poverty experienced by a population. More specifically, the term poor relief is often used to discuss how European countries dealt with poverty from the time just around the end of the medieval era to...
extended to the able-bodied unemployed and worked for women's rights.
She was closely involved in Hugh Lane
Hugh Lane
Sir Hugh Percy Lane is best known for establishing Dublin's Municipal Gallery of Modern Art and for his remarkable contribution to the visual arts in Ireland...
's efforts to establish a gallery of modern art in Dublin. Following Lane's death on the Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
in 1915, she claimed that they had been engaged to be married. Her 1914 portrait of Lane is one of her best-known works. Harrison never married.
Harrison's artistic style is precise and realistic. There are examples of her work in the collections of the National Gallery of Ireland
National Gallery of Ireland
The National Gallery of Ireland houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street. It was founded in 1854 and opened its doors ten years later...
, the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Office of Public Works
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...
, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery on Queen Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. It holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. In addition it also holds the Scottish National Photography Collection...
and the Ulster Museum
Ulster Museum
The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures from the Spanish Armada, local history, numismatics, industrial...
.