A NEW painting by Donegal artist Mark McFadden was unveiled in County Kerry this week to commemorate the 167th anniversary of the birth of playwright George Bernard Shaw.
The unique palette knife oil painting of Shaw has been unveiled at the Muckross Park Hotel & Spa in Killarney.
Crafted over a 12-month period and standing at an impressive 5 feet 6 inches tall, (167cm), the piece was carefully brought to life by self-taught artist McFadden, who hails from Falcarragh.
The painting is a tribute to Bernard Shaw, who was born in Portobello, Dublin on July 26, 1856, and who is strongly suggested to have written the world-famous play Pygmalion at Muckross Park in the picturesque town of Killarney – capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kerry.
“Shaw is one of only two people to have been awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 and an Academy Award in 1938,” Mark McFadden said.
“A triumph at the Oscars for an adapted screenplay of his play Pygmalion was a personal victory of immense significance. Thus, he remains an enduringly inspiring and legendary figure, not only to me, but also for future generations”.
Master of palette knife oil painting, McFadden employs a distinctive colourful and textured layering technique which has catapulted his work into the private collections of Monaco’s Prince Albert – the son of Princess Grace Kelly – singer Julian Lennon, and the Levett Family Trust.
“I can’t recall exactly how long it took me to paint Shaw – it was certainly over a year, with lots of perseverance, through enormous doubt and through various personal carnage and associated tears that tends to go with the tooth and claw of art,” McFadden said.
“One of my heroes was 19th-century painter Vincent van Gogh, who used the impasto technique of applying paint to canvas using a knife. It takes time, and you think a lot about quitting, but the result can be incredible”.
The jury is still out on how much of Shaw’s world-famous work Pygmalion was actually written in the hotel.
The writer developed an affection for the venue, spending numerous summer evenings reading and writing in the gardens and relishing the cosy ambience of the bar now known as ‘The Monk’s Lounge’.
“Shaw and his wife Charlotte Payne Townsend certainly stayed at the hotel on several occasions, and there are strong indications that parts of Pygmalion were written here,” said Garrett Power, General Manager at Muckross Park Hotel & Spa.
“The play, of course, later evolved into the timeless classic ‘My Fair Lady,’ starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn. As a tribute to Shaw, one of our suites in the hotel now bears his name, and we are delighted to welcome Mark McFadden’s outstanding art to the hotel for our guests to appreciate and enjoy,” he said.
McFadden’s portrait of Irish writer James Joyce – part of his Irish Literary Greats collection – was sold to Prince Albert of Monaco. His eye-catching 6 feet 6 inches, (200cm), portrait of Oscar Wilde has also been acquired by private collectors. The series includes the likes of Behan, Yeats, Kavanagh, Kerry’s own
John B. Keane and many more. The inclusion of Bernard Shaw brings the collection to an end, as it takes up residence at Muckross Park from July 26.
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