Kirkwood, Harriet (née Jameson) (1880–1953), landscape and still life painter, was born Grace Harriet Sara Jameson in Dublin on 28 September 1880, the middle of the three daughters of Andrew Jameson (qv), chairman and managing director of John Jameson & Son Ltd (1905–41), and his wife Grace Elizabeth Anna Maria (née Burke). Having studied drawing with May Manning (qv), Harriet became a student at the Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin, in 1908–9. She married, on 4 March 1910, Major Thomas William Kirkwood (qv) OBE, 17th Bengal lancers, of Collinstown Park, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, whose family came from Roscommon; they had no children. Her husband shared her interest in the arts and encouraged her artistic activities. The couple spent a short time in Russia in 1913, and while they were there she took painting lessons with I. I. Mashkov (1881–1944) in Moscow. She re-registered with the Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin, in 1919–20, and then attended the Slade School of Art, London.
The Jamesons were good friends and supporters of the Yeats family. John Butler Yeats (qv) had painted portraits of members of the Jameson family and he encouraged Kirkwood with her painting. Andrew Jameson and his second wife, Ruth Hart, had contributed money to send J. B. Yeats to Italy (he used the money to go to America instead). Kirkwood maintained the friendship with the family and invited many of the leading artists of the day to her house in Collinstown Park, Clondalkin. Two artists in particular, Mainie Jellett (qv) and Evie Hone (qv), were close friends and an inspiration to her. She followed in their footsteps when she travelled to Paris to study with André Lhote (1885–1962). At an exhibition in the Contemporary Pictures Gallery at 133 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, she was one of a group of six artists who had studied at L'Academie Lhote. Despite the fact that two of the group were men, Father Jack Hanlon (qv) and Eugene Judge, they became known collectively as ‘Lhote's wives’.
She was an active and committed member of the Society of Dublin Painters from 1922 and first exhibited some landscapes in 1930 at their gallery at 7 St Stephen's Green, Dublin. She was secretary that year and in 1936 was made president of the society. At a group show at the gallery in 1938, Seán T. O'Kelly (qv), who opened the exhibition, praised the members for their independence and for providing a forum for artists working outside the academic tradition. One of the artists to arouse interest at the show was E. A. McGuire (qv), a well-known sportsman who had taken up painting at Kirkwood's suggestion. Her own work at this time reflected her interest in formal structure and analysis, perhaps a result of Lhote's teaching. She felt that Irish artists should aim for quality in their work in order to build a distinctive Irish school, and should abandon painting symbols of nationalism. She remained president of the society until 1948.
Kirkwood exhibited with the Society of Dublin Painters until 1952 and showed regularly with the Irish Exhibition of Living Art from 1943. On occasion she exhibited with the Watercolour Society of Ireland, in 1944–5. Two of her works, an oil portrait of Dr George Furlong (qv) and a ‘Still-life with fruit and flowers’ (1940) are in the NGI. Her husband donated a watercolour to TCD in 1966. She died 20 June 1953 at her home in Clondalkin. Her funeral took place at Ardcarne church, Boyle, Co. Roscommon.