Harry Clarke and the Geneva Window

Ongoing
The Wolfsonian–FIU @ 1001 Washington Avenue

Widely regarded as his most important and controversial commission, Harry Clarke's stained-glass masterpiece, the Geneva Window, is again on view at The Wolfsonian–FIU. An internationally renowned Irish artist, Clarke was commissioned in 1926 by the newly independent Irish Free State to create a window as a gift to the League of Nations in Geneva. The completed window was, however, rejected—labeled too provocative and "unrepresentative" of the Irish people. This new installation sheds light on the life and times of Harry Clarke, the stories behind the window, and the consequences of cultural censorship.

Place:

5th Floor

Curator:

Lea Nickless

Credit:

Harry Clarke and the Geneva Window is organized by The Wolfsonian–FIU.

Resources:

Audio guide

Explore the Installation

Object Highlights

View or download the full installation checklist.

	Stained-glass window, commissioned 1926, completed 1930 (never installed) For the International Labor Building, League of Nations, Geneva Harry Clarke (Irish, 1889–1931) Clarke Studios, Dublin, maker Stained glass, lead cames 71 1/2 x 40 in (181.6 x 101.6 cm), overall The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, TD1988.34.1
	Book, *Faust*, 1925 Harry Clarke (Irish, 1889–1931), illustrator Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German, 1749–1832), author George G. Harrap & Co, London, publisher Walter Lewis, University Press, Cambridge, printer 10 x 9 in (25.4 x 22.9 cm), closed book The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 83.2.56
	Casket, 1876 John R. Ryan & Co., Dublin Bog oak, gold-plated brass, malachite, quartz, amethyst, onyx 7 x 10 x 6 1/2 in (17.8 x 25.4 x 16.5 cm) The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Promised Gift, WC2003.1.3.1
	Illuminated address, *Connradh na Gaedilge* [The Gaelic League], 1906 Seághan Maicsbhell (also known as Seán Maxwell; Irish, d. 1948), illustrator John Milligan, (Irish, 1854–1938), frame carver Connradh na Gaedilge, Dublin, commissioner Ink, paint, and paper in oak frame 59 x 49 in (149.9 x 124.5 cm) The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Promised Gift, WC2004.6.18.1

Recommended Resources

Nicola Gordon Bowe. The Life and Work of Harry Clarke. Kildare, Republic of Ireland: Irish Academic Press, 1989.
Angela Griffith, Marguerite Helmers, and Róisín Kennedy, eds. Harry Clarke and Artistic Visions of the New Irish State. Kildare, Republic of Ireland: Irish Academic Press, 2018.
Marie T. Mullan. Exiled from Ireland: Harry Clarke's Geneva Window. Dublin: Mullan Publishing, 2020.

The Geneva Window Tour

Uncover the secrets of the Geneva Window—its Irish origins, Harry Clarke's short and tragic life story, and the references embedded within each panel—with curator Lea Nickless.

Access the audio guide.