Jeanne Rynhart

Born in Dublin and having spent five years studying painting and sculpture with George Collie, RHA and at the National College of Art in Dublin, Jeanne and husband Derek, settled in England. After further study at Coventry College of Art, she exhibited her work at various galleries throughout the UK. Her paintings and pastels were becoming popular and selling with in London stores. However, she decided to concentrate on sculpture and her lamps and figurines were soon making a big impact in a discerning UK market.

The Rynhart Collection began to take shape - with Derek developing the mouldmaking and casting areas - the Rynhart coldcast bronzes were soon gaining popularity. Among the many Art Societies inviting Jeanne to join were the prestigious Society of Portrait Sculptors and The Society of Wildlife Artists - both associates of the Federation of British Artists in London.

Jeanne has enjoyed continued success in the field of Portrait Sulpture completing several private and public commissions. Notable are the busts of Dean Swift and Oscar Wilde at the Writer's Museum in Dublin and the placing of a James Joyce bust in the New York Public Library.

Jeanne Rynhart also modelled the Annie Moore Emigration Monument in Cobh, County Cork, a moving tribute to all those who left Ireland for America; while its counterpart on Ellis Island, New York is a lasting commemoration of the first immigrant to pass through those portals to the New World in 1892.

Jeanne is constantly trying to develop her gifts as a sculptor through a dedication to thoughtful interpretation and thorough background research. One of her strengths is the ability to capture the mood of an occasion in the facial expression and pose of her subject, often resulting in an inspired representation.

An unlimited range of small animals modelled by Audrey Rynhart surely shows that some of her mothers talent is passing on to another generation .

Irish history from the Celtic times to early Christianity is traced through the extensive works in stone found throughout the country. The earliest Ogham stones, the prehistoric forts, artefacts and religious objects relate how the early inhabitants of our island lived. Audrey Rynhart interprets these works in this collection.

Learn more about The Rynhart Collection in our Crafts section.