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58 ROBERT BALLAGH (B.1943)The Distant Past
Oil on canvas, 86.5 x 59 (34 x 23¼’’)
Signed and dated 1978 verso
Exhibited: ‘Robert Ballagh Retrospective Exhibition’ Lund Konstalle 1983, Catalogue No.40.
Literature: ‘Robert Ballagh’ by Ciaran Carthy, 1986, mentioned page 163.
Front cover design for ‘The Distant Past’ by William Trevor (1979)
Dublin born artist Robert Ballagh has worked in numerous, but always recognisable styles, but has most often been labelled a pop
artist and a photorealist. His painting career began in 1966, working as an assistant to Michael Farrell where he received his only
training, and is otherwise self taught. Just three years later he represented Ireland at the Venice Biennale, and since then has en-
joyed success at home in Ireland, with a full scale retrospective at the RHA in 2006, as well as holding solo shows abroad in Sweden,
Russia, Bulgaria and Poland.
Active both artistically and politically, Ballagh is a member of Aosdana, held an honorary presidency role at the International
Association of Art, and coordinated the 75th anniversary commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising in 1991 as well as the opening
ceremonies of the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games and the 2006 Ryder Cup. His design skills were put to use further
in the public realm when he designed the last series of Irish Banknotes before the introduction of the euro, and he has designed
over 70 postage stamps. He has also designed numerous theatre sets, most famously for Riverdance. His paintings can be found in
major collections including the National Gallery of Ireland, Ulster Museum, Trinity College Dublin and Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery.
This work was one of several book covers commissioned from Ballagh by Poolbeg Press. It was the cover for the book ‘The Distant
Past’ a collection of short stories by William Trevor. It is a reflection on the way old wounds still bleed in Ireland. As Ciaran Carty ex-
plains in his book on Ballagh: - “ ... a framed photograph of a British Army officer hangs askew in a drawing room, the glass pierced
by a bullet, blood dripping down the wallpaper”. Although some have suggested that the black and white photograph is of General
Maxwell, the artist has stated that it is of an anonymous British officer.
€ 5,000 - 8,000