Harry Clarke (1889 to 1931) – Stained Glasss Windows.

Harry Clarke (1889 to 1931) : Ireland’s greatest stained glass artist               

Harry Clarke (1889 to 1931) was undoubtedly Ireland’s greatest stained glass artist.

Internationally the name of Harry Clarke is synonymous with quality craftsmanship and imaginative genius in his stained glass work. His use of deep rich colours, his delicate depiction of beautiful elongated figures with their finely carved features and deep expressive eyes, is indeed magical to behold. During his short life Harry created over 160 stained glass windows for religious and commercial commissions throughout Ireland and England, and as far a field as the USA and Australia. Also an illustrator of books for Harrap and Co. in London, Harry illustrated books that show his undoubted genius in the area of graphic art. 

Fingal County Council : Harry Clarke Images commissioned for a Exhibition 2022

In 2018, Fingal County Council commissioned Michael Cullen to photograph the entire Harry Clarke windows in this region of Co. Dublin.

The Last Day of Harry Clarke

Harry Clarke, Irish stained-glass artist and illustrator, is confined to a Swiss sanatorium, suffering from Tuberculosis, far from his family and his work in the Studios in Dublin. Ravaged by illness, the rejection of the Geneva Window, and the effects of medication, Clarke is visited by friends, both real and imaginary. As darkness falls on a January evening in 1931, the arrival of his two best friends unleashes an inner psychic battle to free himself from the hellish fears of his childhood and to accomplish his one final quest, to travel back home. This drama in three acts is a fictional account of the final day of Harry Clarke. Buy this book Amazon UK : Amazon USA

Dark Beauty: Hidden Detail in Harry Clarke’s Stained Glass: Number One: New Releases Amazon USA Hot New Releases Our best-selling
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A Journey Through Glass – A New Film Documentary on Harry Clarke’s Stained-Glass – By Irish ImagesFILM to be released September 2022

In the summer of 2018, Tony Walsh embarked on a road trip, spending two weeks traveling to various locations in Ireland, exploring the incredible stained-glass windows of Irishman, Harry Clarke. Clarke is world renowned for his originality and his incredible use of colour. On Tony’s travels, he discovered some great examples of Clarke’s work in Wexford, Dublin, Tipperary, Mayo and Galway, met some really fascinating people who offered rare insights into Clarke’s life and work, and took in some of the most breath-taking scenery along the way. There was one window that had inspired Tony to set out on his trip. Tony revisits this window at the end of his journey, where its location is finally revealed. Film by Michael Cullen of Irish Images FILM 2022

 

 

Dark Beauty: Hidden Detail in Harry Clarke’s Stained Glass 2019

Dark Beauty: Hidden Detail in Harry Clarke’s Stained Glass
Dark Beauty: Hidden Detail in Harry Clarke’s Stained Glass

Dark Beauty focuses on the minute detail in Harry Clarke's stained-glass windows, particularly in the borders and lower panels of his work. Clarke's brilliance as a graphic artist is clearly visible in his book illustrations, which are imbued with precise attention to intricate designs, and he applied the same lavish focus to every facet of his stained glass.

The title 'Dark Beauty' refers to the duality of Clarke's work that sees delicate angels juxtaposed with macabre, grotesque figures, and represents the partially hidden details that dwell in the background of his windows - motifs, accessories, flora, fauna and diminutive characters - which may be missed in light of the dominance of the central subjects.

The authors spent many years photographing Clarke's windows in Ireland, England, America and Australia, and the resulting 60,000 photos have been carefully whittled down to 500 glorious images. Dark Beauty will provide lovers of Clarke's stained glass with the opportunity to view previously obscured or unnoticed details in all their unique beauty and inspire their own travels to view Clarke's work.

 

 

 

 

 


 Harry Clarke Project (Not Harry Clarke Studios)

Our project deals with the life and work of Harry Clarke, until his death on January 6th 1931.


Harry Clarke Studios

We have not researched the Harry Clarke Studios which continued after Clarke's death until 1973.


On this site

A Revel In Blue: The Life and Work of Harry Clarke 'DVD' Click Here

Next Previous Reviews

Strangest Genius: The stained glass Windows of Harry Clarke by Lucy Costigan and Michael Cullen. Nominated for 'Book of the Decade' (Dublin Book Festival, 2016), 'Best Irish-Published book' (Irish Book Awards, 2010) and listed in the top 25 Great Irish Books by the Irish times.