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Artist: Letitia Marion Hamilton RHA (1875-1964) Title: Cathedral Nazare Signature: signed lower left Medium: oil on canvas Size: 51 x 61cm (20.1 x 24in) Framed Size: 69.5 x 79.5cm (27.4 x 31.3in) Provenance: Private Collection a#morebtn { color: #de1d01; } a#morebtn:hover { cursor: pointer;} Located on the Atlantic coast north of Lisbon, Nazaré is one of Portugal's oldest fishing ports. Perched on a hill overlooking the town and dating from the sixteenth century onwards, Our Lady of Grace (Nossa Senhora Nazare) cathedral and its associated buildings commemorate a miracle of the twelfth ... Read more Letitia Marion Hamilton Lot 19 - 'Cathedral Nazare' Estimate: €10,000 - €15,000 Located on the Atlantic coast north of Lisbon, Nazaré is one of Portugal's oldest fishing ports. Perched on a hill overlooking the town and dating from the sixteenth century onwards, Our Lady of Grace (Nossa Senhora Nazare) cathedral and its associated buildings commemorate a miracle of the twelfth century when a knight was saved from falling to his death by the intervention of the Virgin Mary, thus starting the cult of Our Lady of Nazaré. The main front of the cathedral-that depicted in Hamilton's painting-dates from the early eighteenth century. It is still a place of pilgrimage today. In Hamilton's painting, three women, two carrying pots or containers on their heads, stand in the shade of large palm trees, escaping the intense midday sun. The large palm trees dominate the composition, along with the twin towers of the Cathedral and the red tiled roofs of the surrounding building. Leading to the door of the cathedral is a flight of semi-circular steps. The paving is depicted by Hamilton using vigorous brush marks of grey and light brown paint. Combining an Impressionist palette with the influence of Raoul Dufy and the School of Paris, Letitia Marion Hamilton was one of a generation of Irish women in the early twentieth century who turned to art as a profession, rather than a recreation. She delighted in depicting everyday scenes in Ireland such as fairs and race meetings, while her travels on the Continent resulted in paintings that are vibrant and colourful. Together with her sister Eva Henrietta (1876-1960) Letitia spent her life painting, traveling and exhibiting. The two sisters did not marry and, with their genteel lifestyle and dedication to art, became known as 'The Hamwood Ladies'. After attending Alexandra College, during which time she probably took painting lessons with John Butler Yeats, Letitia began exhibiting with the Water Colour Society of Ireland. In 1907, she became a student at the Metropolitan School of Art, studying under William Orpen with her sister Eva shortly afterwards also enrolling at the same school. The two sisters then moved to London, where Letitia studied for a time under Anne St. John Partridge (1860-1836) at the Chelsea Polytechnic and also under Frank Brangwyn She first showed at the RHA in 1909, submitting a view of her local village, Dunboyne, and thereafter exhibited regularly at the Academy, eventually being elected a member in 1943. By 1920, when Letitia was one of the founder members of the Society of Dublin Painters, the family were living at Palmerstown, close to Dublin. Letitia spent time in Sligo, painting West of Ireland landscapes but also travelled on the Continent, particularly in Italy and Yugoslavia. She exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1925, and also in London, at the Goupil, Walker's and French galleries, as well as showing with the Royal Academy and the Fine Art Society. Peter Murray, September 2021