Genre, narrative and allegory

 

Time Flies (1887) by William Gerard Barry (1864-1941)

Time Flies (1887) by William Gerard Barry (1864-1941) captures an idyllic moment in childhood, but is also a reminder that time moves on relentlessly. The old woman seems to remembering her own youth

Courtesy of the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork

Time Flies (1887) by William Gerard Barry (1864-1941)
Courtesy of the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork

Time Flies (1887) by William Gerard Barry (1864-1941)

Time Flies (1887) by William Gerard Barry (1864-1941) captures an idyllic moment in childhood, but is also a reminder that time moves on relentlessly. The old woman seems to remembering her own youth

Courtesy of the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork

Enlarge image

The Wounded Poacher (1881) by Harry Jones Thaddeus (1859-1929)

The Wounded Poacher (1881) by Harry Jones Thaddeus (1859-1929) presents the young poacher as a heroic victim rather than a criminal. The treatment of the body suggests pietà images, showing the sacrifice of Christ. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland

Photo (c) National Gallery of Ireland

The Wounded Poacher (1881) by Harry Jones Thaddeus (1859-1929)
Photo (c) National Gallery of Ireland

The Wounded Poacher (1881) by Harry Jones Thaddeus (1859-1929)

The Wounded Poacher (1881) by Harry Jones Thaddeus (1859-1929) presents the young poacher as a heroic victim rather than a criminal. The treatment of the body suggests pietà images, showing the sacrifice of Christ. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland

Photo (c) National Gallery of Ireland

Enlarge image

Scenes of everyday life are notable for the extent to which they reflect the behaviour and norms of society of the day: by illustrating it, by presenting an ideal to emulate, or by caricaturing it for amusement. Often such images tell a story or carry a moral message. While elements of the realities of everyday life may be illustrated, there is also often a desire to entertain or to invoke emotion, and nineteenth-century Irish painting reflected the international passion for anecdote and sentiment.

 

The Potato Diggers (1912) by Paul Henry (1876-1958)

Paul Henry (1876-1958), The Potato Diggers (1912). This image of peasants draws on the work of French painters of peasants. The potato diggers are positioned above eye level, conferring a nobility on their hard work and fortitude. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland

Photo (c) National Gallery of Ireland

The Potato Diggers (1912) by Paul Henry (1876-1958)
Photo (c) National Gallery of Ireland

The Potato Diggers (1912) by Paul Henry (1876-1958)

Paul Henry (1876-1958), The Potato Diggers (1912). This image of peasants draws on the work of French painters of peasants. The potato diggers are positioned above eye level, conferring a nobility on their hard work and fortitude. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland

Photo (c) National Gallery of Ireland

Enlarge image

Night’s Candles are Burnt Out by Seán Keating (1928-9)

Night’s Candles are Burnt Out (1928-9) by Seán Keating (1889-1977) is an allegory – a symbolic scene or story - suggesting that outdated and ineffective methods related to violence or superstitious faith were being replaced by a hopeful future, symbolised by the young family, based on social and technological progress.

Copyright Gallery Oldham

Night’s Candles are Burnt Out by Seán Keating (1928-9)
Copyright Gallery Oldham

Night’s Candles are Burnt Out by Seán Keating (1928-9)

Night’s Candles are Burnt Out (1928-9) by Seán Keating (1889-1977) is an allegory – a symbolic scene or story - suggesting that outdated and ineffective methods related to violence or superstitious faith were being replaced by a hopeful future, symbolised by the young family, based on social and technological progress.

Copyright Gallery Oldham

Enlarge image

In the early twentieth century, genre scenes largely reflected the desire to present an authentic image of Ireland , often for nationalistic reasons. There was a particular focus on scenes in the rural West and its people, identified as the quintessential Ireland . The political, economic and social challenges besetting Ireland were often the subject of such scenes. Allegorical   (symbolic) scenes, were also used to convey ideas about Ireland ’s identity, heritage, and potential in the future.