Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Mainie Jellett died in 1944; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2014.
In context
The Nativity — Mainie Jellett
The original measures 89 × 89 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 47 at death.
Painted when the artist was 43. The artist lived to 47. 15 of the 17 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of Mainie Jellett (1897–1944) ▲ this work, 1940 every dated painting, decade by decade
First works: up to 1922 Main working years: 1922–1937 Late works: from 1937
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/mainie-jellett-the-nativity-AQRPCD-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Rosy Brown #d28172
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 21 works by this artist, of which 7 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 4 of them, with 15.4% of that attention. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in Dublin, Ireland
Born: Dublin, Ireland (April 29, 1897)
Died: February 16, 1944
Parents: William Morgan Jellett (barrister and MP), Janet McKenzie Stokes.
Early artistic training with Elizabeth Yeats, Sarah Cecilia Harrison, and Mary Manning.
Studied at the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin (teachers included William Orpen).
Attended Westminster Technical Institute in London under Walter Sickert.
Won the Taylor Art Scholarship in 1920.
Moved to Paris with Evie Hone in 1921.
Studied cubism under André Lhote and Albert Gleizes.
Exploration of non-representational art, influenced by Cézanne's analytical approach.
Developed a distinctive style incorporating rhythm, colour, and abstract forms.
Her artistic philosophy involved three revolutions inspired by Sickert, Lhote, and Gleizes.
Decoration (1923): One of the first abstract paintings exhibited in Ireland, caused considerable controversy.
Artwork often features religious titles and icon-like qualities despite being non-representational.
Style characterized by arcs of colour, rhythmic lines, and a sense of abstract perspective.
Exploration of light and color to create depth and intensity.
Early proponent of abstract art in Ireland.
Championed the modernist movement despite facing criticism.
Co-founded the Irish Exhibition of Living Art in 1943 with Evie Hone, Louis le Brocquy, Jack Hanlon, and Norah McGuinness.
Her work is present in museums throughout Ireland.
Jellett believed artists were essential for societal spiritual health.
Significant figure in Irish art history, bridging traditional and modern artistic approaches.
Mainie Jellett's pioneering spirit helped pave the way for abstract art to be accepted in Ireland.
Her dedication to promoting modernism influenced generations of Irish artists.
She remains a significant figure in the history of Irish art, recognized for her innovative style and unwavering commitment to artistic expression.
originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/mainie-jellett-the-nativity-AQRPCD-en/
Look closely
The Nativity — Mainie Jellett
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
The colors of "The Nativity" by Mainie Jellett show a softly mixed palette harmony. Harmony describes how the colors relate to each other.
A green to violet spectrum hue runs through "The Nativity" by Mainie Jellett.
The perceived brightness of "The Nativity" by Mainie Jellett is balanced. It can be matched to the light of the intended space.