Shadow And Smudge

at

devbykeating

The Long Fella writes:

Historical [Charcoal sketch] drawing of De Valera by Seán Keating PRHA going under the hammer in Whyte’s [Stephen’s Green, Dublin]s on February 29 with an estimate of €3,500 – €4,500. If it were of Michael Collins would it carry a higher estimate?

The State should buy this for the people of Ireland. Regardless of political affiliations, the man was a commandant during the 1916 Rising and Taoiseach as well as President.

Was it for this?

Anyone

Lot 38 Eamon De Valera By Seán Keating (Whyte’s)

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30 thoughts on “Shadow And Smudge

  1. Election aficionado

    Sean Keating was a brilliant portrait painter, regardless of the sitter. I’ve seen some worse looking specimens on lamp posts over the past few weeks

  2. newsjustin

    Sean Keating – Great. Dev – Great.

    But why should the State buy it? There must be hundreds of paintings, prints and sketches of Eamonn De Valera. The “people of Ireland” don’t need to own them all.

  3. Election aficionado

    “It is my considered opinion in the fullness of time history will record the greatness of Michael Collins and it will be recorded at my expense”

  4. ahjayzis

    “The State should buy this for the people of Ireland. Regardless of political affiliations, the man was a commandant during the 1916 Rising and Taoiseach as well as President.”

    Is it any and all depiction of the Great Leader that the state needs to buy up or just ones you like the look of?

    How about you buy it and gift it to the state? You could fundraise for it.

  5. DubLoony

    A historian pointed out to me that nothing is named after Dev, no train station, bridge, road. unlike others involved.

    1. ahjayzis

      We’re still living under his constitution, in fairness.

      You hang around long enough in public life and you don’t get those things, people have enough of you – die young, preferably heroically and you get a train station or a barracks.

      1. The Old Boy

        Good question. I imagine civil war divides prevented an awful lot of personalities from being immortalised in Portland stone and we rather got out of the habit. Why we never had 1916 rising statutes I don’t know. Perhaps the association of statuary with imperialism didn’t help.

      2. Neilo

        Danny Baker’s theory is that trousers are very hard to sculpt – Norman Wisdom’s statue on the Isle Of Man is often cited as an example – unlike generals in breeches on horseback.

      1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

        I know a lot of aul wans who wouldn’t use that bridge because of its name.
        Fun times.

  6. The Long Fella

    Good man, Mick. However, I’m sure you won’t mind me saying that Keating was a truly gifted artist and in that Republican genre. Nationalism became the driving force behind his work and he also remained a traditional painter. There’s a lot to be said for it. As for the lack of statues: the powers that be don’t like statues and prefer fountains and spires and weird looking things at roundabouts.

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