Patrick Swift Charger Plate of B&w Portrait of Girl, Circa 1977

Details

Description

The following bio is from askart.com; the focus would be the last paragraph speaking of the pottery:

"Patrick Swift (1927-1983) … Read more The following bio is from askart.com; the focus would be the last paragraph speaking of the pottery:

"Patrick Swift (1927-1983) "A figurative painter, he also painted portraits, rural and urban landscapes, and trees, which held a special fascination for him.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was a painter in Dublin and London before moving to the Algarve in Southern Portugal.

A self-taught artist, he did attend night classes at the National College of Art in 1946 (under Sean Keating) and later set up his studio on Hatch Street. Swift was part of the McDaid's pub circle of artistic and literary figures that included Patrick Kavanagh, Anthony Cronin, Brendan Behan, and others. He first exhibited in group shows at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art in 1950 & 1951. In 1952 he held his first solo exhibition at Waddington Galleries to great critical acclaim. Critic Tony Gray wrote in the Irish Times: "Paddy's 30 canvases are as gray and gloomy as Dublin itself—harshly realistic paintings of dead birds and rabbits, frightened-looking girls and twisted potted plants. Their fascination is in the merciless, sharply etched details, as oppressive and inquiring as a back-room third degree. Dublin Understands..."

In 1954, he was awarded a grant by the Irish Cultural Relations Committee to study in Italy, where he painted and wrote essays on art.

In 1958 Swift spent time at the Ashwell Springs in the village of Ashwell in North Hertfordshire under the Digswell Arts Trust and painted many views of the surroundings.

In 1959, he moved his young family to London, where he became a member of the Soho set that included Francis Bacon, George Barker, Elizabeth Smart, among others. There he founded and co-edited - with the poet David Wright - the magazine 'X' which promoted many artists of that period including Francis Bacon, Alberto Giacometti, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach, Craigie Atchison and David Bomberg. His painting style gradually changed to a more expressionist mode in heavy brushstrokes, rather than in sharp lines and a thin paint surface. Known portraits by Swift during this period include those of George Barker, Patrick Kavanagh, David Wright and David Gascoyne.

In 1962, Swift left London for an extended trip to southern Europe and fell in love with a small fishing village on the Algarve in Portugal. He stayed, and continued painting while also writing books on Portugal and founding (with the Portuguese artist Lima de Freitas) Porches Pottery, reviving what had been a dying industry. He produced many tile panels and portraits on plates."

The plate here for sale was created in 1977 and signed and dated on the back. These plates don't come on the market that often, especially in the United States. They mainly appear in Europe. This is a larger one measuring 16" Diameter and it's in excellent condition. The last one we found that came on the market was in 2015 measuring 14" diameter and sold then for over a €1000.

Circa: 1977
Condition: excellent and original
Artist: Patrick Swift (1927-1983)
Dimensions: 16" Diameter x 1 3/4" H See less