Lilian Davidson ARHA was an Irish landscape and portrait artist, teacher and writer.
30 Facts About Lilian Davidson
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Lilian Lucy Davidson was born at Castle Terrace, Bray, County Wicklow, on 26 January 1879.
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Lilian Davidson was the sixth of ten children of clerk of petty session, Edward Ellice Davidson, and Lucy Rising Davidson.
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Lilian Davidson's mother died in 1888, and it is presumed that Davidson received a private education but as the family were not affluent, the details are unclear.
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Lilian Davidson went on to attend the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art from 1895 to 1905.
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Whilst at the DMSA, Davidson won prizes in 1895 and 1896, and was awarded a scholarship and free studentship at the Royal Dublin Society in 1897, the year her father died.
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Lilian Davidson was commissioned by Switzer's department store on Grafton Street to draw costumes in 1899.
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Lilian Davidson exhibited The bonfire with the Water Colour Society of Ireland in 1912, continuing to exhibit with them until 1954, and became a committee member in 1934.
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Lilian Davidson was first exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1914, with The student.
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Lilian Davidson's painting exhibited by the RHA in 1916, The harbour, St Ives, demonstrates an influence from Stanhope Forbes and the Newlyn school, with a bright palette and contrasting illumination, which became characteristic of her work.
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Lilian Davidson held a joint exhibition with Mainie Jellett in 1920, at Mill's Hall, Merrion Row, Dublin.
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The RHA exhibited Lilian Davidson's oil painting, The flax pullers, in 1921.
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Lilian Davidson lived in Paris in the late 1920s, exhibiting at the Salon de la Societe Nationale in 1924 and 1930.
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Lilian Davidson placed a self-portrait in her depiction of a peasant gathering, The country races.
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Lilian Davidson's work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
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Lilian Davidson's paintings were exhibited at the Contemporary Picture Galleries, Dublin in 1930, alongside Yeats, Evie Hone, and Harry Kernoff.
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Lilian Davidson was a member of the Picture Hire Club, 24 Molesworth Street, Dublin from 1941 to 1942, and was a frequent contributor to the Munster Fine Arts Club.
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Lilian Davidson's work was exhibited at the Salon des Beaux Arts, Paris, the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and in Amsterdam.
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Lilian Davidson influenced the Society's move towards the avant-garde in the 1940s.
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Lilian Davidson was elected associate to the RHA in 1940, and continued to exhibit there until her death.
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Lilian Davidson taught drawing at her studio at 1 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin.
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Lilian Davidson's pupils included Bea Orpen, Anne Yeats, and Mo Irwin.
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Lilian Davidson was a teacher at a number of Dublin schools, such as Belgrave school, Rathmines, Wesley College, St Stephen's Green, and Castle Park School, Dalkey.
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Lilian Davidson travelled to Abbeyleix, County Laois, once a week to teach at Glenbawn boarding school.
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In 1935, Lilian Davidson was a founder-member of the Torch Theatre, Dublin.
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Lilian Davidson designed scenery, and was the co-director with Hugh Hyland in 1936, under the stage name "Jennifer Maude".
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Lilian Davidson died at her home at 4 Wilton Terrace, Dublin on 29 March 1954.
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Lilian Davidson is buried in an unmarked grave in Mount Jerome Cemetery.
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Lilian Davidson was a regular attendee at Purser's "Second Tuesdays" gatherings.
30.
Lilian Davidson bequeathed The golden shawl to the Hugh Lane Gallery, which is a large self-portrait.