Louis Le Brocquy - Farewell to a great artist

Artists, writers, and people of culture have long been afforded a special place in the hearts and minds of the Irish people.

That is certainly true of artist Louis Le Brocquy, who has died at the venerable age of 95.

Self taught, his work, including the Táin and a unique collection of the heads of literary figures, is widely collected and recognised internationally. His wife, Anne Madden, is an outstanding artist in her own right. Aptly, Le Brocquy’s dramatic painting A Family has been chosen as one of Ireland’s favourites.

Lamenting his loss, President Michael D Higgins described him as “a great artist and wonderful human being whose works are amongst this country’s most valuable cultural assets and are cherished by us all”.

Unusually in the world of art, where fame and success often follow an artist’s death, he has been represented in the permanent collection of the National Gallery for many years. A fitting tribute indeed to one of the foremost Irish artists of the 20th century.