Mary Swanzy
, Irish, 1882-1978
Title
Farm Buildings with Trees in ForegroundDatec.1920
MediumColoured pencil on paper
Dimensions
19.4 x 25.7 cm
Credit LinePresented, 2019
Object numberNGI.2019.212
DescriptionThese colourful landscape views (NGI.2019.211-216) are drawn in a distinctive style using short, closely spaced, coloured pencil lines. The two figure studies (NGI.2019.259-260) are simpler, rapid sketches, carried out in a few moments. All are likely to date to between 1919 and 1923. The drawing of a woman in a hat (NGI.2019.260) is reputedly a portrait of Clare Marsh who died in 1923. Swanzy is known to have spent time in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia with her sister Mary St Clair, who was involved in relief work in Eastern Europe after WWI. The use of coloured pencil is unusual, but pencils of this kind would have been available from 1908 when Faber-Castell began manufacturing them commercially.ProvenancePurchased by previous owner from the Artist's family; presented, 2019