Jack B. Yeats

A bit about Yeats…… one of Ireland’s most successful 20^th century painters

Born in London, 1871
Raised in Sligo by his grandparents
His brother was the famous poet, William Butler Yeats
His father was a famous portrait painter, John Butler Yeats, and his creative sisters were embroiderers called Lilly and Lolly
Returned to London in 1888 to study art
Met his wife (Mary Cottenham White) at art college
Began his artistic career as an illustrator
Provided artwork for popular periodicals of the day including the sports journals Ariel and Paddock Life
Moved to Devon with his wife in 1897
Started to establish himself as a fine artist
Became increasingly interested in Ireland as a source of subject matter and travelled there frequently
Captivated by the customs and traditions of rural Irish communities
Travelled around Ireland making sketches of fairs, markets, sporting events and local characters
Between 1900-1909 he filled over 100 sketchbooks, which he used to inform his paintings
Moved to Wicklow in 1910
His painting style changed dramatically when he started to use oil paints
Abandoned line and flat, realistic colours for broad brushwork, thick impasto (the thick application of paint/visible brushstrokes) and an expressive use of colour
Died in Dublin, 1957

Compare and contrast his early work with his late work according to:

subject matter (what the painting is about)
composition (the layout)
style (the visual appearance of the work)
technique and materials (the way in which the work was constructed and the medium(s) used)

Examples of Yeats' work at various stages during his career:

Bachelor’s Walk, In Memory, 1915 (early career)
The Liffey Swim, 1923 (mid career)
Grief, 1951 (late career)