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10. Gerard Dillon (1916 - 1971)
Portrait of George Campbell
Pencil, 24 x 17cm
Signed in Gaelic
11. George Campbell RHA (1917 - 1979)
Self Portrait
Watercolour, 18 x 12.5cm
Signed
1940’s : Becoming a Painter
Witnessing the horrors of the Blitz in 1941, Campbell was compelled to leave his job to paint,
which was likely linked to the death toll of over nine hundred people. Starting to paint at the
age of twenty-four was, however, a cause for concern for Campbell. In an interview in 1979,
he admitted he knew nothing about painting but on school visits
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to the National Gallery
he had been enthralled by Goya and the sombre dramatic qualities of El Greco. On a visit to
Madge’s family one weekend, George came across her younger sister Joyce’s watercolours and
began sketching. Believing art classes hindered his creativity, Campbell reached out to the
small artistic community in Belfast to gain knowledge.
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Art classes took place once a week. Interview with Dr Harold Ennis, 17 February 2015.
fig.12: George Campbell ‘Moore Street’,
Provenance: Zoltan Lewinter-Frankl collection
fig.13: George Campbell’s illustrations for
‘Ulster in Black & White’, 1943