ADAM'S IMPORTANT IRISH ART 27 MAY 2026

80 40 MAURICE MACGONIGAL PPRHA (1900-1979) ‘Turf Girl, by the Sea, Connemara’ Oil on board, 39 x 30cm (15¼ x 11¾”) Signed Provenance: Collection of Fr. Eric MacFhinn, Galway (Patron of the arts and noted scholar) € 5,000 - 8,000 Maurice MacGonigal was born into a family of artists in the suburb of Ranelagh, Co. Dublin in the year 1900. His father was a painter decorator from County Sligo and his uncle on his mother’s side was the illustrious stained glass artist Joshua Clarke (c.1868-1921). MacGonigal then was naturally predisposed to an artistic trade and enjoyed an apprentice- ship in the Joshua Clarke & Sons studios of Dublin from the age of 15. During this period MacGonigal was also enlisted to Fianna Éireann in 1917 and was active during the War of Independence, culminating in his internment in 1920 for one year. On his release and with evident talent, he attend- ed the Metropolitan School of Art throughout the period of 1923 to 1926. His education here exposed him to the influ- ence of his tutor Seán Keating (1899-1977) whose blend of Social Realism and Romanticism can clearly be identified in the work here presented. MacGonigal exhibited frequently at the RHA, submitting on average five paintings a year before his eventual Presidency of the Academy from 1962 until 1977 - a role he inherited directly from Keating. The Artist’s fascination with the West of Ireland was pur- portedly ignited after a trip to the Aran Islands in 1924, at least in part inspired by the striking depictions of the islands he saw reflected in Keating’s work. Turf Girl, By The Sea, Connemara presents the viewer with a single figure in a landscape, very much in the tradition of his tutor, who had incidentally paid his first visit to the Island with Harry Clarke in 1912. The female subject in her striking red woollen skirt is crucial to the iconography of the West of Ireland. Historically the woollen petticoats were dyed with mad- der root and the resulting crimson ensemble contrasted beautifully against the cornflower blue mountains and the green patchwork of the small landholdings. Naturally there- fore, the Irish Gleaner in her red petticoats has appeared throughout the works of landscape ‘Greats’ Sir William Orpen, RA RHA (1876-1931), Paul Henry RHA (1877-1958), Charles Lamb RHA RUA (1893-1964) and Seán O’Sullivan RHA (1906-1964) to name but a few. MacGonigal’s inter- pretation of the scene follows this established tradition but notably presents the subject in a full length portrait, centred triumphantly against a cirrus speckled sky and a glittering sea. She stands authoritatively against her spade, her hand resting on her hip, supported by strong legs and sturdy black boots. The heavy black leather boots are par- ticularly well delineated and despite the subject’s charming and youthful face, she has an uncommonly commanding presence in that landscape. MacGonigal’s interpretation of the young labourer is likely influenced by his alternative employments as a poster and set designer for the Abbey Theatre as well as his early years in the glass studios of Joshua Clarke & Sons. He has presented the scene in a reduced palette of reds and blues, and the resulting picture is remarkably conducive to interpretation in these mediums. The breadth of the sky is accentuated due to the elliptical sweep of titanium white that aligns with the perfectly centred figure to create of halo effect. Above this ellipse, a shimmering concentration of small brushstrokes mimics the swift transition of the early morning clouds, a technique which is echoed in the glim- mering waves beneath. The comparatively flat panes of red, blue, black and white used in the Turf Girl’s clothing recalls the typical palette of ecclesiastical windows. It is therefore impossible to ignore McGonigal’s formative training as a stained glass designer in the studio of his uncle. Neither can we deny his aptitude for creating a distinctly Irish iconography – incentivised by his early education in the Metropolitan School of Art and his lifelong interest in the concept of Irish Nationhood and cultural identify. Stephanie Brennan, April 2026