01 Classic Works of Art, Marine Paintings - With Footnotes, #114

MEDORA HEATHER BENT, (Irish, 1901-1992)

St Ives by Moonlight

Oil on canvas 

50 x 61cm (19 11/16 x 24in)

Private collection

St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial emphasis, and the town is now primarily a popular seaside resort, notably achieving the title of Best UK Seaside Town from the British Travel Awards in both 2010 and 2011.

The origin of St Ives is attributed in legend to the arrival of the Irish saint Ia of Cornwall, in the 5th century. The parish church bears her name, and St Ives derives from it. More on St Ives

Medora Heather BENT, Born Alannah Heather Bent, 1901 - 1992, born in North Kilworth, Connemara, Medora spent much of her early life at Erisslaanen (Connemara) which gave her the title for her autobiography.   She was educated in England and studied at the Slade with Randolph Schwabe (1930-33) , and at the Central School of Arts and Crafts where she studied stained glass.   She worked on Sark, in Ireland at Errislannan, and in Cornwall (St Ives, during WWII).


She was noted at a 1944 exhibition by the St Ives Times for "her war pictures."  Buckman comments that she was much influenced by the places where she lived, including Connemara, Sark, and St Ives. As well as paintings, she produced sculptural models depicting religious scenes, and painted furniture.  She moved to a new studio in St Ives in 32 Fore Street in 1947.   She moved to Wareham in Dorset in the mid-1950s, and died in Poole. More on Medora Heather BENT

St Ives (Cornish) is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial emphasis, and the town is now primarily a popular seaside resort, notably achieving the title of Best UK Seaside Town from the British Travel Awards in both 2010 and 2011. St Ives was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1639. St Ives has become renowned for its number of artists. It was named best seaside town of 2007 by The Guardian newspaper. It should not be confused with St Ive, a village and civil parish in south-east Cornwall. More on St Ives

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