Alice Sarah Kinkead
Later life and death:
Alice Sarah Kinkeads art career blossomed between the years of 1897 and 1925. Her art work was exhibited in an array of galleries and museums all over Europe. Her work has been displayed in Dublin, at the Royal Hibernian way, and it was also exhibited in Paris and in various London galleries, including the Goupil and the United Arts. Throughout Kinkeads lifetime, she managed to train in her art profession in the infamous city of Paris. She learned the skills of impressionist painting in the ateliers of the 1890s. These techniques that she learned greatly impacted her later life through her unique style of art.[1]
Kinkead befriended Joseph Conrad in 1921 in Corsica. She managed to paint the last portrait of Conrad only a month before his passing in 1924. She also managed to paint a portrait of Jessie, Conrad’s wife in June 1921.[2]
In her later years, Kinkead moved between London and Ireland. She lived with a musician, Francis Perkins, in a studio in London. During her time in London, she painted an incredible portrait of W.B. Yeats in the summer of 1901. She also had the opportunity to teach the art of wood-cutting to Jack Yeats and Augusta Gregory while she was living in London.
Throughout the year leading to her death, she had an extremely busy schedule and social life. She received several visits at her London studio from her nephew, among other friends and family. Kinkead remained in close contact with Edith Sommerville during her later years in life, revealing a significant intimacy between these two families. Edith Sommerville was considered family to the Kinkeads, and they continued to write to each other throughout their later years of life.[3]
Kinkead died suddenly of an extremely tragic, premature death on the first of November, 1926, at Vicars Hill, High Street, Fareham, Southampton. She was only 55 years old and died of a cerebral haemorrhage.
Legacy:
Alice Sarah Kinkead was an Irish artist who painted many landscapes and portraits. She impacted the artistic community significantly with her talented pieces of art work as well as her outgoing personality. Her landscapes were said to have reminded Conrad of his own personal connection to his native land of Ireland.
Among reviewing her artwork, one can also see how her magnificently vivid landscapes can greatly impact the native Irish community. Kinkead remained a close, devoted friend of the west of Ireland creative community throughout her lifetime. This allowed her to remain a part of the Irish community even after her departure from Ireland.
Kinkead was described as a very intelligent artist in an unsigned obituary that was published in the Connacht Tribune on November 13th. Her skills as a colourist were incredible. She was an artist who had the ability to bring French impressionism to Irish art. All of her work displays a uniqueness of approach that can be admired and inspiring.
Kinkead was said to have attended seances with Sommerville and Ross both before and allegedly after her passing.She was a woman who strongly believed in her faith and believed in the ability to contact spirits who have already passed.[4]
She lived a short yet fulfilled life and greatly impacted those around her. Her work has been exhibited in many galleries across Dublin, London and Paris. Kinkead’s art work was so impactful that even 24 years after her death, it was offered to the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Kinkead was a talented woman painter who is often forgotten about. Her landscape and portraits are pieces of art that tend to go unnoticed, despite the fact that much of her art work is of very notable people in history, for example she painted a portrait of a famous author Joseph Conrad, as well as the renowned poet W.B Yeats.
Reference list:
- ^ Snoddy, Theo (2002). Dictionary of Irish artists : 20th century. Internet Archive. Dublin : Merlin. ISBN 978-1-903582-17-6.
- ^ Guerard, Albert J. (1976), "The Conradian Voice", Joseph Conrad, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 1–16, ISBN 978-1-349-02781-1, retrieved 2022-11-07
- ^ JONES, SUSAN (2006). "ALICE KINKEAD AND THE LAST PORTRAIT OF CONRAD". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 58: 156–164. ISSN 0332-415X.
- ^ Jones, Susan (2008). "Alice Kinkead and the Conrads". The Conradian. 33 (1): 103–118. ISSN 0951-2314.