Ireland during the 1920s

Yeats was painting during a very interesting time in Ireland.

Ireland during the 1920s:

• War of Independence 1919-1921
• Civil War 1922-1923
• Irish Free State established 1922

During this time Irish artists were seeking to create a national identity through art. They were drawn to the west of Ireland and to the islands off the coast of Galway.

Why do you think Irish artists travelled to the west of Ireland?
Where do you think the most “Irish” part of Ireland is and why?

It is interesting to compare Yeats’s work with that of his contemporaries:
Sean Keating (1889-1977)
Paul Henry (1877-1958)
Sir William Orpen (1878-1931)
Sir John Lavery (1856-1941)

 

Activity

Compare and contrast Yeats' work with the work of two of his contempories according to:

• subject matter (what the painting is about)
• composition (the layout)
• style (the visual appearance of the work)
• technique and materials (the way in which the work was constructed and the medium(s) used)

Examples of paintings to compare:

Jack B. Yeats, The Liffey Swim, 1923
Paul Henry, A Connemara Village, 1933-34
Sean Keating, An Allegory, 1924