A tour of inspection of Dublin statues in 1913, published in the Irish Times (29 April), drew attention to the presence of many ‘admirable statues’ in the city’s midst, as well as recognizing that some of them were ‘far from admirable’. Among the public statues discussed, more than a third are no longer in place.
Read MoreThe role of competitions in the commissioning of sculptors became particularly manifest in the nineteenth century, with the proliferation of public commemorative work. While it was acceptable for a private patron to commission work directly, it was expected that a more democratic process would prevail for the commissioning of public work, which was often paid for by public subscription.
Read MoreWe are surrounded by images and representations that are not our own, and these symbols of what can be called the cultural landscape are never arbitrary. If we read the language of culture through art, we shall learn the history of our people and places and, more, create the awareness and the possibility to change the future of cultural development for the better.
Read MoreThe rapid developments in the economy, particularly later in the so-called Celtic Tiger years, fuelled a new class of collectors who had the money, and the desire for status, which brought about a sculpture boom. In the public sphere, the climate was slowly changing, in part because of the development of independent exhibition bodies (IELA in 1943; The Independents in 1960; and EVA in 1977), as well as major displays such as the Rosc exhibitions from 1967 onwards.
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