Russell, George William (1867-1935), was an Irish poet, painter, and journalist. He was a leader of the Irish Literary Revival, a movement that began in the late 1800’s. This movement encouraged the creation of works based exclusively on Irish culture.
Russell’s mystical poetry and paintings reflect his deep love of nature. He developed a personal religion that sought spiritual truths in nature. Russell produced over 20 volumes of poetry.
Russell was born on April 10, 1867, in Lurgan, in what is now Northern Ireland. He spent most of his adult life as a journalist in Dublin. He wrote under the pen name “AE,” which he took from a printer’s error on one of his essays. Russell was an authority on farming and devoted much time to improving Irish agriculture. He died on July 17, 1935.
