Self Portrait of the Artist
Self Portrait of the Artist
Sean Keating
Irish, 1889 - 1977
Pastel
16 1/4 x 13 1/4 in. (41.3 x 33.7 cm)
Signed Lower Right
Seán Keating (1889–1977) was an Irish romantic-realist painter who painted some iconic images of the Irish War of Independence and of the early industrialization of Ireland. Born in Limerick on 28 September 1889, Keating won a scholarship in 1911 to the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, where he came under the influence of William Orpen and was introduced by fellow student Harry Clarke to the Aran Islands, an area which would have enormous influence on his future painting.
On returning to Ireland, Keating soon established himself and in 1919 was elected RHA. He became one of the principal painters of the Irish Free State with commissions including portraits of leading figures from Irish life and a large series of paintings depicting the construction of the country's first electricity generating stations. A conservative and committed defender of traditional Irish painting, Keating was one of the great exemplars of representational painting in Ireland, deliberately idealizing and heroicizing his subjects to depict the birth and development of the Republic.
This intimate *Self Portrait* demonstrates Keating's masterful command of pastel and his acute psychological insight. Working in his preferred medium of pastel, he renders his own visage with characteristic sensitivity to form and subtle tonal modeling. During his lifetime, Keating painted approximately 100 portraits, establishing himself as one of Ireland's most sought-after portraitists. The work exemplifies his traditional academic approach and meticulous draughtsmanship—qualities that defined his role as a formative influence on twentieth-century Irish art.
Keating served as President of the Royal Hibernian Academy from 1949–62, reinforcing his stature as one of the pillars of Irish visual culture during a formative period in the nation's history.
Seán Keating (1889–1977) was an Irish romantic-realist painter who painted some iconic images of the Irish War of Independence and of the early industrialization of Ireland. Born in Limerick on 28 September 1889, Keating won a scholarship in 1911 to the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, where he came under the influence of William Orpen and was introduced by fellow student Harry Clarke to the Aran Islands, an area which would have enormous influence on his future painting.
On returning to Ireland, Keating soon established himself and in 1919 was elected RHA. He became one of the principal painters of the Irish Free State with commissions including portraits of leading figures from Irish life and a large series of paintings depicting the construction of the country's first electricity generating stations. A conservative and committed defender of traditional Irish painting, Keating was one of the great exemplars of representational painting in Ireland, deliberately idealizing and heroicizing his subjects to depict the birth and development of the Republic.
This intimate *Self Portrait* demonstrates Keating's masterful command of pastel and his acute psychological insight. Working in his preferred medium of pastel, he renders his own visage with characteristic sensitivity to form and subtle tonal modeling. During his lifetime, Keating painted approximately 100 portraits, establishing himself as one of Ireland's most sought-after portraitists. The work exemplifies his traditional academic approach and meticulous draughtsmanship—qualities that defined his role as a formative influence on twentieth-century Irish art.
Keating served as President of the Royal Hibernian Academy from 1949–62, reinforcing his stature as one of the pillars of Irish visual culture during a formative period in the nation's history.
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