Saint George Hare (1857 – 1933) was an Irish artist. He was formally educated in art in Limerick School of Art, where he spent three years under the tutalage of Nicholas Brophy. In 1875, he received a scholarship and moved to London to study for seven years at the National Art Training School, South Kensington. He won a gold medal for his history painting “Death of William the Conqueror,” which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1886.
There are three paintings by him that make it to this site due to their connection to bondage.
Victory of Faith (painted in 1889) shows two sleeping Christian martyrs waiting to be devoured by wild beasts, seen behind bars on the left (according to wikipedia). A 1893 review from Chigaco’s World Fair mentions:
“Victory of Faith” represents two converts to Christianity – a Caucasian and Ethiopian, mistress and maid – asleep on their dungeon bed of straw, and is masterful in design, whilst contrast is effected by opposites without any resort to glaring or overpowering leading lights.”
Miserere Domini (Christians in Prison) was painted in 1903. Normally I avoid artwork with children due to the erotic nature of most bondage artworks. For this one time I make an exception because the art shows how the painter looked at chained females, it is fascinating to think why would he have painted them nude?
The Gilded Cage is a 1908 oil painting, one of several (and yet I only found 3) of his shackled female images. It depicts a lone, sleeping woman shackled by the wrists to a column while butterflies fly past. Its title may have been inspired by the 1900 song “A Bird in a Gilded Cage” and the painting may have symbolic meaning. According to the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia), “The depiction of naked women in chains seemed to hold a special interest for Hare, and he returned to the subject frequently”.
Despite the captive’s partial nudity she retains her innocence as her state of being disrobed is forced upon her by her captors rather than being her own choice. This seems to be an important detail which devides females into victims or perhaps sluts? Those who disrobe by choice gain less respect, it is (to my opinion) an old taboo which is kept alive in modern times.
Bondage Artworks 