Career
The Irish artist of London/Russian extraction, is primarily remembered for his sympathetic interest in Dublin and its people. He depicted street and public scenes, as well as Dublin landmarks with sympathy and understanding. This is particularly evident in his woodcuts.
Harry Kernoff spent the vast majority of his life unappreciated, and made little or nothing from his paintings until a few years before his death, when he began to be appreciated by contemporary critics.
Outside his home in Dublin, where he lived with 2 unmarried sisters, there was a long-standing sign in the front garden which said ". Descendants of the Abravanels.."
Born in London, Kernoff moved to Dublin and became a leading figure in Irish modernism.
Influenced by Seán Keating, Kernoff painted the Irish landscape, genre scenes, and portraits. While visiting, he was influenced by the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia.
Kernoff is famously associated with Davy Byrne’s public
His paintings and woodcuts of Davy Byrne’s public are documents of his friendship with the original owner.
