Gretta Bowen
Born in Dublin on New Years Day, 1880, Gretta Bowen began painting quite late in life. Having experimented with left-over paint belonging to her sons George and Arthur Campbell, her talent as an artist was discovered and much to her surprise, lead to her first solo show in Belfast in 1955. Rather than trade on her sons artistic reputations, she decided not to sign her name as Gretta Campbell but instead with her maiden name, Bowen. In describing her unique style The Times wrote in 1955: Rhythm and movement are the characteristics of her work. There is nothing static in it. She will paint children at play, a fun fair, nuns in procession, children on their way to confirmation, a Twelfth of July Orange procession, a military band or dockside scene and whatever she paints conveys a feeling of brightness, of delight in life. (See Snoddy, page 40). Numerous successful solo shows followed at the David Hendriks Gallery, Dublin, the Bell Gallery, Belfast, the Tom Caldwell Gallery, Dublin and Belfast and also at the Oireachtas, the RHA and the Ulster Society of Women Artists.
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'IT'S HOT INSIDE'
- Price Realised: 4,000
- Sale: 19 September 2006
- gouache on board
- 36 by 48cm., 14 by 19in.
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'PASTORAL SCENE'
- Price Realised: 3,600
- Sale: 02 March 2009
- oil on board
- 51 by 61cm., 20 by 24in.
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'SUNDAY AFTERNOON'
- Price Realised: 3,600
- Sale: 26 April 2005
- gouache on board
- 38 by 53cm., 15 by 21in.
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'THE MAYPOLE'
- Price Realised: 3,400
- Sale: 19 February 2007
- gouache on paper
- 38 by 57cm., 15 by 22.5in.
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'THE CUSTOMS EXAMINATION'
- Price Realised: 2,600
- Sale: 25 February 2008
- oil on board
- 41 by 51cm., 16 by 20in.
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'THE FISHERMAN'
- Price Realised: 2,400
- Sale: 20 September 2005
- gouache on board
- 37 by 51cm., 14.5 by 20in.
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'STRANMILLIS BOATHOUSE'
- Price Realised: 1,350
- Sale: 02 March 2009
- oil on board
- 41 by 57cm., 16 by 22.5in.
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'THE WEDDING COUPLE'
- Price Realised: 1,350
- Sale: 02 March 2009
- oil on board
- 61 by 44cm., 24 by 17.5in.
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'TOWN HALL, NEWRY'
- Price Realised: 1,300
- Sale: 27 May 2006
- crayon on paper
- 43 by 30cm., 17 by 12in.
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'NEWRY TOWN HALL, 1952'
- Price Realised: 1,200
- Sale: 26 May 2007
- crayon
- 43 by 37cm., 17 by 14.5in.
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'CATTLE MART'
- Price Realised: 750
- Sale: 10 October 2011
- oil on paper
- 28 by 38cm., 11 by 15in.
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'SWIMMING LESSONS, 1968'
- Price Realised: 680
- Sale: 14 December 2020
- oil on board
- 18Ό x 14½in. (46.36 x 36.83cm)
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'A VISITOR TO TEA'
- Price Realised: 680
- Sale: 25 November 2013
- oil on board
- 16 by 20in., 40 by 50cm.
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'VILLAGE STREET'
- Price Realised: 600
- Sale: 10 October 2011
- oil on board
- 28 by 41cm., 11 by 16in.
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'AFTER THE FALL, c.1950'
- Price Realised: 400
- Sale: 13 December 2021
- gouache
- 11Ό x 8½in. (28.58 x 21.59cm)
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'SWAN IN THE PARK'
- Price Realised: 180
- Sale: 09 December 2012
- pastel with mixed media on card
- 12 by 18in., 30.48 by 45.72cm.