IRISH ARTISTS

Objectives◦Study 4 Irish Artists: Jack B. Yeats, Sean Keating, Paul Henry- Painters and Eileen Gray – Designer◦How to look ◦Ways Of seeing◦Cover Exam questions◦Breakdown of marks◦Useful Resources

Ways of seeing◦Sketching is an excellent way to learn to understand a work of art◦Take the time to look carefully◦There may be emphasis placed on different works◦Before film or tv , art was often a means of entertainment and, and it was understood that viewers would be able to linger over works of art and uncover their details slowly

"The true artist has painted the picture because he wishes to hold again for his own pleasure - and for always - a moment, and because he is impelled... by his human affection to pass on the moment to his fellows, and to those that come after him."   JACK B. YEATS

The Old Grass Road, Kinsale" 1925 Oil, 18 x 24 ins. "A richly romantic landscape, complete with lovers, in the south west of Ireland, with a huge sky typical of the region."

History- Social Context-Background◦ For many years, the work of this remarkable artist was only known and enjoyed

by individuals with access to the private and public collections, particularly in the National Gallery of Ireland and the Sligo County Library and Museum. Fortunately, major exhibitions have been mounted recently in the UK and America, bringing the works before an international audience.

◦His Sketches of Life in the West of Ireland was shown in Dublin and London◦Greatest Irish Artists of the 1st half of the 20th century◦His Paintings are displayed in a particular room in the national gallery◦He was born in London but lived for a lot of the time in Sligo◦ The youngest of 6 children, his older brother is William B Yeats, the famous poet◦His father was a seaman and inspired in the young Yeats a great love for the sea◦He studied at the prestigious Westminster School of Art

"The Publican", 1913 Oil, 14 x 9ins.

"A shrewdly observed study of a figure of some importance in the rural districts of Ireland around the turn of the century, as J.M. Synge described in his reports for the "Manchester Guardian" in 1905 which were illustrated by Jack Yeats."

"A Race in Hy-Brazil"

1937 Oil, 28 x 36 ins.

"A Magical, almost supernatural glow suffuses this painting, which refers to the distant past of Gaelic myth - the island of the Blest is an imaginary island off the west coast of Ireland."

History ◦His father was a seaman and inspired in the young Yeats a great love for

the sea◦His later paintings would have been inspired by the landscape of Sligo◦ In is earlier works he sketched a lot and used watercolour◦He had a great interest in the nationalist cause - ‘A political Meeting’◦He was fascinated with horses◦He often made drawings of sporting events◦He attended race meetings, hurling games, boxing and matches

"The Man from Aranmore", 1905 Watercolour, 15 x 11ins. "This glowing watercolour was painted in the year Jack Yeats and J.M. Synge travelled together in the west of Ireland. The proud subject is from Aranmore, the largest of the three Aran islands, off Galway, where Irish was the principal language spoken."

Jack B Yeats - Style ◦Medium -mainly oils◦Use of subdued strong tonal contrasts to achieve dramatic effects◦He applied the paint in broad flat strokes◦He had a bold and linear drawing style, evident in his paintings◦1925- Developed impasto- a technique with vigorous thick brush strokes and a brighter palette◦His later works from 1940 the lines disappear

“The Liffey Swim", 1923 Oil, 24 x 36ins.

"This painting of the annual swim down the River Liffey through Dublin was the first Yeats painting acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland in 1931. There is some evidence of the looser line of his paintings during this period, but the treatment is generally traditional and completely successful - the total involvement of the watching crowd is beautifully caught." Depicted the drama and the excitement of a swimming race

‘

Grief’ by Jack B.Yeat’s

1951649x 430

National Gallery of Art

Grief 1951◦A mysterious and disturbing image of war and misery◦Solidity is defined by strong directional slashes with the palette knife◦ The characters emerge from the surface in ripples of light◦He painted from memory, seeking to recapture the emotion from the event◦Used an impasto style◦ Following the death of his wife in 1947 and after witnessing 2 world wars

and the turmoil in Ireland, his work became even more expressive and experimental in theme

◦He expressed nostalgia ◦He used bright, optimistic colours◦He painted with his fingers, a palette knife and used paint directly from a

tube in a controlled passion

How to analyse a painting◦What is this painting about?◦Which part of the work catches the eye first? ◦Why is that?◦Which way is the eye then directed?◦What is the structure or composition of the work?◦Does it fit into a shape, etc???

The artists is like an author?- Telling a story◦Is there a narrative or a message in this work?◦Do you think the artist intended you to ‘read’ the whole story at once or does a certain feature keep pulling your attention back?◦Perhaps the artist intended this and that you are meant to spend more time exploring it?◦Do you think that some details are symbols for something?◦Does the artist spell everything out for you or do they allow you to fill in the details yourself?

Colour, Line & Texture◦A key ingredient in visual art◦How does the artists choice and arrangement of colour convey the importance of one element of the work over another?◦Can you see strong lines in the work?Do you think the artist prefered to work with Line other than colour?◦What kind of surface does the painting have?◦Has the artist used thin glazes of colour or thicker paint?

Colour◦Does the colour use conveyed emotion, time of the day and distance or some other special feature?◦What kind of paint/ medium/material had been used? Why do you think this colour or medium was chosen?◦Can you see brushworks?◦Do the brush strokes convey movement?

◦Where is the focal point?◦Why is your eye led there?◦Is your mind looking for objects or ideas while your eye is attached to areas of high contrast◦Are you allowing your eye to do the work and lead your mind through the art work?

Terms◦Figurative Art – representing a human figure or animal figure using real object

sources◦Representational- Based on real objective sources. ‘Realist’ or ‘objective’. In

other words it means something.◦Abstract – Distorted, change. Real objects that have been changed.◦ Impasto- a thick application of paint, usually in oil with visable brush strokes◦Narrative- Telling a story◦Composition- Layout of figure, look at background foreground, where is the setting?◦Objective- pertaining to something that can be known◦Symbolism- A representation of things , meaning or character◦Plein Air- term coined by The Impressionists the open air or the quality of light

outdoors

Resources◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk Video on Yeats◦ http://www.nationalgallery.ie/en/Learning/Schools/Teachers/Leaving_Cert_Resources/

Irish%20Art%201890-1960.aspx National Gallery

◦ http://www.crawfordartgallery.ie/images/educationimages/ArtistsBio/JackBYeatsbio.pdf Crawford Art Gallery

◦ http://www.nationalgallery.ie/Learning/Schools/Teachers/Leaving_Cert_Resources/~/media/Files/Education/Worksheets/SketchbooksPostPrimary.ashx

◦You tube John Berger “ Ways Of Seeing ”◦Galleries Local and National◦Online, Books, Flyers and Postcards