The Wolfsonian–Florida International University in Miami Beach is exhibiting "Harry Clarke and the Geneva Window," showcasing a luminous stained glass window created by Irish artist Harry Clarke (1891–1931) for the League of Nations building in Geneva. Commissioned by the Irish Free State in 1926, the window was ultimately rejected by the Irish government due to its controversial content, including depictions of drunkenness, nudity, and Protestant writers. The exhibition explores the window's scandalous history, Clarke's life cut short by tuberculosis at age 41, and the broader context of Irish nationalism and the Celtic Revival.
This exhibition matters because it resurrects a pivotal yet suppressed chapter in Irish cultural history, highlighting the tension between artistic expression and national identity in a newly independent, deeply Catholic Ireland. The Geneva Window serves as a lens into the Irish Literary Revival and the political turbulence of the early 20th century, while also raising enduring questions about censorship, nationalism, and the role of art in reflecting society. By juxtaposing the window with period decorative works, the Wolfsonian offers a rare opportunity to reassess Clarke's masterpiece and its complex legacy.