From top: Willem Van der Hagan’s view of Waterford, c1745, and Blaise Smith’s Waterford 2012 painting showing the city from across the River Suir.
Claire Feely writes:
The Office of Public Works and Waterford City & County Council recently commissioned Irish artist, Blaise Smith, to create a new large-scale painting that reflects a 21st century view of Waterford city under the Per Cent for Art Scheme for flood defence works.
In 1735, Waterford Corporation, as it was then known, commissioned a painting of the city from a Dutch painter William Van der Hagen (d. 1745). This painting still hangs today in the Bishop’s Palace and is considered to be a painting of national importance.
The new painting entitled “Waterford 2016”, 5 metres in length and comprised of 52 panels, will act as companion painting to the Van der Hagen painting.
Pics: Patrick Browne
Lovely! We need one (several?) of these panoramic views of Dublin asap…
…one of Ormond Quay asap…Ormond Hotel is going to be demolished soon…
If I was commissioned by the city, why is it in the bishop’s palace?
I think that’s just the name/original function of the building and it’s now a museum?
Thanks, ahjayzis. Not a town I’m familiar with so took the name of the building literally!
Very hard to make Waterford look good, this guy is mega talented.
It’s actually Kilkenny, they’re just pretending it’s waterford
What a random career niche to get stuck in.
Painting big feppin’ pictures of Waterford
The view from mount misery…
“blaa blaa blaa blaa blaa … “