July Art Auction Lot 3 - Killarney by Mildred Anne Butler
Born on 11th January 1858, Mildred Anne Butler RA RWS lived most of her life at her family home, Kilmurry. She inherited the home from her father, which would become a prominent subject and source of inspiration across her work. She typically painted en plein air, achieving of great sense of natural light, atmosphere and realism. She did not follow the typical subject of landscape, but like her friend Rose Barton, choose to depict gardens scene alongside studies of cattle, birds and flowers .
In 1885, Butler travelled to France, Switzerland and Italy. Around this time, she was already exhibiting work in both England and Ireland. In 1891, she first exhibited at the RHA and with the Belfast Art Society. While studying in Paris in 1894, she made contact with Stanhope Forbes of the Newlyn School and spent the following two summers in Cornwall. Due to expanding train travel, the Cornish coast began to attract artists for its beautiful scenery, weather and simplicity of life. Newlyn painting combined the impressionist teachings of working directly from the subject, in the open air, and with subjects typically drawn from rural life.
In 1896, Butler exhibited a watercolour, Morning Bath, at the Royal Academy, which was a major achievement for a women artist during the period, the painting was later presented to the Tate. Her work was included in an album of watercolours presented to the future Queen Mary. Queen Mary later bought a watercolour by Butler, and in 1922, she painted a tiny picture of crows for the Queen’s doll house at Windsor. She exhibited at the first Belfast Art Society show and was one of the first nine academicians elected by the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1930.
Butler spent most of her life at the family home with frequent trips to England and Europe. She continued painting until the 1930s when she stopped painting due to her arthritis, she died in 1941.
Born on 11th January 1858, Mildred Anne Butler RA RWS lived most of her life at her family home, Kilmurry. She inherited the home from her father, which would become a prominent subject and source of inspiration across her work. She typically painted en plein air, achieving of great sense of natural light, atmosphere and realism. She did not follow the typical subject of landscape, but like her friend Rose Barton, choose to depict gardens scene alongside studies of cattle, birds and flowers .
In 1885, Butler travelled to France, Switzerland and Italy. Around this time, she was already exhibiting work in both England and Ireland. In 1891, she first exhibited at the RHA and with the Belfast Art Society. While studying in Paris in 1894, she made contact with Stanhope Forbes of the Newlyn School and spent the following two summers in Cornwall. Due to expanding train travel, the Cornish coast began to attract artists for its beautiful scenery, weather and simplicity of life. Newlyn painting combined the impressionist teachings of working directly from the subject, in the open air, and with subjects typically drawn from rural life.
In 1896, Butler exhibited a watercolour, Morning Bath, at the Royal Academy, which was a major achievement for a women artist during the period, the painting was later presented to the Tate. Her work was included in an album of watercolours presented to the future Queen Mary. Queen Mary later bought a watercolour by Butler, and in 1922, she painted a tiny picture of crows for the Queen’s doll house at Windsor. She exhibited at the first Belfast Art Society show and was one of the first nine academicians elected by the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1930.
Butler spent most of her life at the family home with frequent trips to England and Europe. She continued painting until the 1930s when she stopped painting due to her arthritis, she died in 1941.
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