Artwork
Decoration
Decoration is an unspecified painting by the Cubism Synthetic artist Mainie Harriet Jellett. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1923, Decoration is an early Irish abstract work by Mainie Jellett. It was displayed at the Society of Dublin Painters Group Show, marking one of the first instances of non‑representational painting presented publicly in Ireland. The composition, though abstract, references the traditional Madonna and Child motif through its arrangement of interlocking forms.
Subject & Meaning
While the painting abandons literal figuration, its underlying subject draws on the iconic mother‑and‑child theme. The juxtaposition of colored planes suggests a protective embrace, inviting viewers to contemplate spiritual intimacy without relying on recognizable figures. The abstraction allows the devotional narrative to be felt rather than seen.
Technique & Style
Jellett employs a synthetic cubist language, assembling flat geometric shapes in blue, red, yellow and patterned surfaces. Overlapping planes generate a sense of depth, while the mixture of smooth and jagged edges creates visual tension. The work functions as a collage of color fields, balancing compositional harmony with the fragmented perspective characteristic of early 20th‑century cubism.
History & Provenance
Decoration entered the public eye at the 1923 Dublin Painters exhibition, establishing Jellett as a pioneering modernist in Ireland. The painting later entered museum collections across the country and was even entered in the art competition of the 1928 Summer Olympics, reflecting its recognition beyond national borders.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mary Harriet Jellett (29 April 1897 – 16 February 1944) was an Irish painter whose Decoration (1923) was among the first abstract paintings shown in Ireland when it was exhibited at the Society of Dublin Painters Group Show in 1923.
