Figure 35.3 Army Massing, 1969, by Louis le Brocquy, from Thomas Kinsella’s translation of The Táin. Gestural brushmarks, made with printer’s ink, were used to make the figures.
Le Brocquy’s illustrations for Thomas Kinsella’s translation of The Táin (Fig. 35.3) in the original in 1969 have great strength and vigour. The controlled brushstrokes demonstrate the artist’s sensitivity to any medium he is using.
Go to YouTube and search for ‘The Táin Collection by Louis le Brocquy’ (3.03). While you’re watching the video, pay particular
attention to the artist’s use of descriptive brushmarks. Experiment with making your own scene using this technique.
His ‘Heads’ series of paintings was his longest lasting and, some would say, most important body of work. He painted images of writers and artists trying to reveal the spirit and imagination of his chosen characters. W.B. Yeats (Fig. 35.4) and James Joyce were both featured many times, while Samuel Beckett, Francis Bacon and Seamus Heaney were among the artist’s acquaintances who found themselves subjects of his artwork.
Image of W.B. Yeats
Composition and Colour The face dominates the 70 × 70 cm space: le Brocquy may have been influenced by Celtic spirituality, in which the head houses the spirit.
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Figure 35.4 Image of W.B. Yeats, 1976, by Louis le Brocquy, oil on canavs, 70 × 70 cm, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
Primary colours are used to create the structure and modelling of the face. The unexpected colour and application of paint distort the image.
NEW APPRECIATING ART IRELAND AND ITS PLACE IN THE WIDER WORLD
