Gladys Hynes

Born in India of Anglo-Irish descent, Hynes was not only a gifted painter, sculptor, illustrator and designer but also a radical-pacifist, feminist, suffragist and Irish Republican. Over five decades, she produced an exceptional body of work that engaged with the key movements of her time, ranging from the Newlyn School and Omega Workshops to Vorticism and Surrealism.

Hynes moved in an extraordinary circle of creative, intellectual and political figures. Among her closest friends were fellow artists Nina Hammett, Laura Knight and Gluck. As well as Irish political activists Mabel and Desmond FitzGerald and Jack White. Her greatest and most influential friendship was with the controversial and avant-garde poet Ezra Pound, whose Cantos she illustrated. These intellectual and artistic exchanges significantly shaped Hynes's life and development as an artist.

Gladys Hynes' legacy has been almost entirely overlooked. By shedding light on her artistic achievements, activism and feminist vision, this biography seeks to restore Hynes to her rightful place within the modernist canon as a remarkable woman whose influence, long neglected, is now ripe for rediscovery.