Edna Manley (1900 - 1987)
Name: Edna Manley
Born: 1900
Died: February 2, 1987
Industry: Art – Sculptress
Edna Manley was born in Yorkshire, England on February 28, 1900 to a Jamaican mother and an English father and died February 2, 1987. She studied at various art schools in England including St Michael’s School of Art, London and privately with Maurice Harding, the animal sculptor. She married Norman Manley in 1921 and in 1922 moved to Jamaica with him. Art as it existed in Jamaica then could not have interested Edna. Sculpture was almost non-existent and painting was limited to a conservative watercolour landscape tradition, practised essentially by amateurs. Yet, her own work changed dramatically after her arrival in Jamaica. There was a tremendous leap from the ‘romantic realist’ studies done up to the time of her departure from England to her first piece of work done in Jamaica, the Beadseller. Shortly after, the Beadseller was to have a male counterpart, the Listener, after which Edna went to England in 1923 with her two plasters. The visit proved fruitful. She had the plasters cast into bronze and she was accepted into the Society of Women’s Artists and had Beadseller displayed in their 1924 Exhibition.
Back in Jamaica in early 1924, she quickly set to work with new carving tools and produced Wisdom and then the Ape. At that time, too, she began to model realistic portraits in clay first of Norman and the two-year-old Douglas and then of a friend, Esther Chapman. Then, testing the possibilities of her new medium, she did a head of another friend, Leslie Clerk in wood.
The artist’s various submissions to the exhibitions of the Society of Women Artists began to be noticed and in 1927 two French Journals – Les Artistes D’Aujourd “Hui and La Revue Moderne- singled out her work for praise. In England the interest in her work began to grow and in 1929, Edna returned there with a group of recently completed sculpture including Eve, the Torso of Woman, Boy with Reed and the Ape to exhibit in the Goupil Summer Exhibition.
In London on her 1929 visit, she discovered a new medium. She wrote to Norman, “I’m going eventually to carve stone”. This was the preferred medium of the direct carvers whom she would have been observing at that time, and on her return to Jamaica later that year she began to carve in imported materials – Hopeton-wood stone, Caen-stone, Portland stone and Sandstone.
Throughout her career the artist passed through a series of phases, each representing Edna’ stages in the development of her life and that of Jamaica:
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Negro Aroused (1935 – 1940): This represented a search for a new order, a vision of a people being awakened to a new consciousness. Chief among her works at this time were Mountain Girl, Negro Aroused, The Prophet, Pocomania
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The Dying God Series (1941 – 1948): Works including Before Thought, the Forerunner, Before Truth, Into the Mist. These are at one and the same time her most private yet universal works. In them are elements of a personal symbolism based on her own intimate relationships with her husband and family.
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The Public Year and Public Commissions (1949 – 1969): At this time there is intense pressure on family and political life. Works at this time are isolated pieces, usually commissions. these include The Hills of Papine, The Mountains and all the All Saints Crucifix.
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A Period of Mourning (1969-1974): This is the period of illness and death of Norman Manley. She does Angel, the Grief of Mary, Journey among others.
Mrs. Manley has played a major pioneering role in the history of 20th century Jamaican art. Her works are in private collections, galleries and public buildings worldwide. Since 1924 she exhibited in many one woman and group exhibitions mainly in London, the United States, the Caribbean and in Jamaica. In 1929 she was awarded the Institute of Jamaica’s Silver Musgrave Medal. In 1943 she became the first recipient of the gold Musgrave Medal for her outstanding contribution and leadership in the arts in Jamaica.
Edna was co-founder of the Jamaica School of Art in 1950.She stopped carving in wood in 1974 with ‘Journey’ and all her subsequent works were carved in clay and cast. Later in 1977 she received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of West Indies, Kingston. In 1980 at the National Gallery Retrospective Exhibition “Edna Manley the Seventies”, she was awarded the Order of Merit.
There is a specialised gallery devoted to her life and work at the National Gallery of Jamaica.
Related Documents
- Edna Manley. By O’Neil Grant. The Daily Observer, October 12, 2010, page T15.
- The Courthouse burned, but the art lives. The Sunday Observer, March 4, 2007, section 3, page 5.
- Several pay floral tribute to Edna Manley. The Daily Observer, March 4, 2000, page 2.
- Edna Manley Bust Unveiled. The Herald, March 5-11, 2000, Page 3C.
- Floral Tribute in Commemoration of the Centenary of Hon. Edna Manley O. M.
- The Edna Manley Foundation Invite: Prize-giving ceremony and Exhibition of essay, poster and poetry competition
- Edna on her Horse. By Barbara Gloudon.
- Horse of the Morning: a Carving by Edna Manley. Welfare Reporter, Vol. V, No. 3, March, 1946.
- The Honourable Edna Manley, O.M., May 16, 1980.
- Order of Merit for Mrs. Edna Manley. Daily Gleaner, April 21,1980.
- Edna Manley’s Drawings; “On the Roadside” & “Head of a boy”. Sunday Gleaner, November 6, 1960.
- They all came to mourn. The Daily Gleaner, February 16, 1987 page 1.
- A tribute to Edna Manley. By Archie Lindo. The Star, February 17, 1987.
- Edna Manley dies. Caribbean Times No. 308, February 20, 1987 p. 13.
- Tribute to Edna Manley. By Yvonne Cowan. Jamaica Record, March 6, 1992.
- Celebrating Edna Manley’s life and work. By Donna Marie. Sunday Herald, March 5-11, 2000, pg 3C.
- Edna Manley: Tribute to a great artist. By Andrew Hope. The Sunday Gleaner, February 15, 1987.
- The Golden Period of Edna Manley’s work. Daily Gleaner, February 15, 1970 pg. 4: 4-5.
- Birthday Lady: The Hon. Edna Manley O.M. Edna Manley piece still missing. By Carl Gilchrist. The Gleaner.
- Article on Edna Manley’s Work. Edna Manley Chronology, February 7, 2000
- Edna Manley’s sculptures
- The Wind and The Rain’: Manley’s retrospective exhibition.
- Edna Manley: Honours and Awards
- Miss Lou Entertains guests at Edna’s 85th birthday party. The Daily Gleaner,
- ‘Ghetto Mother’ Edna Manley’s. In: Jamaica Land We Love (Festival 84), page 28.
- Mrs. Manley Helps. By Arthur L. Hendriks. March 11, 1957
- OM for Edna Manley.
- Edna Manley Chronology
- Edna Manley: the crisis years. By Sandy McIntosh. The Sunday Sun, April 13, 1980, page 30.
- Edna Manley to receive photographic album. The Daily Gleaner, March 8, 1958.
- Manley, Edna (Reading List)
- Edna Manley… the private Years: The Wedding, the Honeymoon, then the Trip Home to Jamaica. The Jamaica Daily News. Sunday, March 14, 1976, page 2.
- Exhibitions – One Person
- Edna Manley: ‘She stayed with us to the end; and she is still here’. Jamaica Record. June 3, 1990, page 7A.
- The black Jesus at Easter, April 6-16, 1980
- Symbolism is Big in Sculptor Manley’s Work. By Clyde Burnet. IN: The Atlanta Journal, April 19, 1973.
- Edna Manley: Selected List of Materials in the National Library of Jamaica
- Edna Manley… Fingers with a message. The Daily Observer, August 2, 1999 page 18.
- “In the Beginning”: an appreciative article on Edna Manley’s latest work. The Daily Gleaner, July 5, 1939.
- Edna Manley: Sculptor a Retrospective. National Gallery of Jamaica, May 30th – October 27th, 1990.
- Wife of Jamaica’s Premier: She Crusades for Culture (Edna Manley). By Elizabeth Ford. The Washington Post, January 27, 1960.
- Ceremony of the Installation of Fellows of the Institute (Edna Manley)
- Pockets of disorder at funeral. Daily Gleaner, February 16, 1987.
- Fellowships for Edna Manley, Sherlock and James. May 19, 1980.
- Awarded Medal: Edna Manley. Daily Gleaner, October 11, 1941.
- She loves people.
- Edna Manley … The Private Years: Founding of Jamaica Welfare and the 1938 Labour and Crisis. Jamaica Daily News, March 2, 1976, pages 4-6.
- Jamaica mourns Edna Manley, February 11, 1987
- ‘Edna Manley prepared herself for her role and place in history.’ The Jamaica Daily News. March 2, 1976.
- Gets woman of Distinction Award: Mrs. Edna Manley. The Daily Gleaner. September 26, 1976.
- Amazing co-incidence at Edna Manley’s passing. February 17, 1987, page 3.
- Edna Manley, the Seventies. The Jamaica Daily News, April 23, 1980.
- Edna Manley: ‘Ahead of all the politicians.’ By Michael Reckord. The Daily Gleaner, June 15, 1990 page 8.
- Edna Manley Foundation’s Benefit Auction. The Daily Gleaner, March 24, 1988.
- Artist Honoured: Edna Manley
- An appreciation of ‘Edna Manley…The Diaries’. By Pam O’Gorman. The Star, July 13, 1989, pp. 12-14.
- Edna Manley’s Latest Work: In the Beginning” Her Best Carving. The Daily Gleaner, July 3, 1939.
- Edna Manley Show for Gallery. April 11, 1980
- Edna Manley laid to rest. Daily Gleaner, February, 16, 1987, pages 1, 3 & 20.
- Edna Manley laid to rest. Daily Gleaner, February, 16, 1987, pages 1, 3 & 20.
- Artists: Edna Manley. Arts Jamaica, Vol. 1, no 2. 1982
- Personal mention: Mrs. Manley boosts island. By Kitty Kingston. The Daily Gleaner, Friday, February 12, 1960.
- A New Form in Sculpture. By Ignacy Eker. The Sunday Gleaner, September 31, 1972.
- Jamaica Art Shows an Evolution. By Vivien Raynor. New York Times. September 9, 1984
- Remembering Edna (Programme)
- Chancellor Welcomes Edna Manley into Fellowship of the UWI (Article)
- Sculpture and Painting Enrich Art Collection
- University Honours Caribbean Artists: Edna Manley. By Rickey Singh. Westindian Digest, December, 1984, page. 8.
- Caribbean Update: Edna Manley. Westindian Digest, December 1984, page 11.
- Interview between McF. and Edna Manley (Parts missing)
- Sculpture by Edna Manley: Generations, 1943 & Sun God