Louis le Brocquy
Louis le Brocquy was born in Dublin in 1916. Leaving Ireland in 1938 to study the major European art collections in London, Paris, Venice and Geneva, he returned in the 1940s where he participated in the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, departing for London in 1946 where he soon became prominent on the contemporary art scene. Later he began to exhibit internationally and - representing Ireland - won a major prize at the Venice Biennale in 1956. In 1958 he married fellow artist Anne Madden and left London to work in France.
He received an invitation, in December 1966, to collaborate with publisher Liam Miller on a new translation of Ireland's oldest saga, An Táin Bó Cúailnge. Accepting, le Brocquy spent much of the next three years visualising the project, before its publication in 1969. His lithographic brush drawings for The Táin were celebrated by critics, and would endure as one of the crowning achievements, and culturally significant artworks, of his career.
The artist would enjoy continuous acclaim throughout his long career, which spanned over six decades and can be broken up roughly into ten, sometimes overlapping, periods; the ‘Tinker’ (1945-1948), ‘Grey’ (1951-54) and ‘White’ (1956-66) periods, the ‘Ancestral’ (1964-75) and ‘Portrait’ (1975-2000) Heads, his series of Still Lifes (1981-1998), ‘Processions’ (1984-92) and ‘Irish Landscapes’ (1987-94), before his ‘Human Image’ (1996-05) and, finally, the ‘Homage’ (2005-06) series towards the end of his career and life.
Le Brocquy is recognised by many as one of the greatest Irish artists of the twentieth century, and one of the greatest of any era of Irish art. He was made Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1975 and received the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 2007. The realisation of over £1.7 million for his 1951 painting A Family at auction in 2000 was a record at the time for an Irish artist’s work, placing him among a very select group of British and Irish artists whose works have commanded in excess of £1 million in their lifetime, an acknowledgement of his illustrious profile in the art community internationally as well as at home. Le Brocquy died on 25 April 2012. Before his passing, he was the only artist to have received the distinctive honour of being included during his lifetime in the Permanent Irish Collection of the National Gallery of Ireland. His works can be found in some of the world’s most important public collections including the Guggenheim Museum, New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
He received an invitation, in December 1966, to collaborate with publisher Liam Miller on a new translation of Ireland's oldest saga, An Táin Bó Cúailnge. Accepting, le Brocquy spent much of the next three years visualising the project, before its publication in 1969. His lithographic brush drawings for The Táin were celebrated by critics, and would endure as one of the crowning achievements, and culturally significant artworks, of his career.
The artist would enjoy continuous acclaim throughout his long career, which spanned over six decades and can be broken up roughly into ten, sometimes overlapping, periods; the ‘Tinker’ (1945-1948), ‘Grey’ (1951-54) and ‘White’ (1956-66) periods, the ‘Ancestral’ (1964-75) and ‘Portrait’ (1975-2000) Heads, his series of Still Lifes (1981-1998), ‘Processions’ (1984-92) and ‘Irish Landscapes’ (1987-94), before his ‘Human Image’ (1996-05) and, finally, the ‘Homage’ (2005-06) series towards the end of his career and life.
Le Brocquy is recognised by many as one of the greatest Irish artists of the twentieth century, and one of the greatest of any era of Irish art. He was made Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1975 and received the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 2007. The realisation of over £1.7 million for his 1951 painting A Family at auction in 2000 was a record at the time for an Irish artist’s work, placing him among a very select group of British and Irish artists whose works have commanded in excess of £1 million in their lifetime, an acknowledgement of his illustrious profile in the art community internationally as well as at home. Le Brocquy died on 25 April 2012. Before his passing, he was the only artist to have received the distinctive honour of being included during his lifetime in the Permanent Irish Collection of the National Gallery of Ireland. His works can be found in some of the world’s most important public collections including the Guggenheim Museum, New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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'CÚCHULAINN, 1974'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 01 March 2021
- aquatint on Arches paper; (no. 57 from edition of 75)
- 15½ x 15½in. (39.37 x 39.37cm)
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'THE TÁIN. MARE AND FOALS, 1969'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 29 September 2014
- lithographic brush drawing; (no. 37 from an edition of 70)
- 15 by 21in., 37.5 by 52.5cm.
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'IMAGE OF PICASSO, 1989'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 31 May 2010
- lithograph on Japanese paper (no. 16 from an edition of 29)
- 67 by 51cm., 26.5 by 20in.
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'HUMAN IMAGE XII, 2005'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 30 November 2009
- screenprint (no. 7 from an edition of 75)
- 86 by 60cm., 33.7 5 by 23.7 5in.
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'EIGHT IRISH PORTRAITS IN WORDS AND WATERCOLOUR, 1990'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 28 September 2009
- offset lithograph prints (no. 397 from an edition of 1000)
- 27 by 22cm., 10.5 by 8.5in.
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'Eight Irish Portraits in Words and Watercolour, 1990'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 26 May 2007
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'THE MORRIGAN, 1969'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 19 February 2007
- lithograph (no. 49 from an edition of 70)
- 54 by 38cm., 21.2 by 15in.
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'HEAD OF CUCHULAIN'
- Price Realised: €2,800
- Sale: 19 November 2002
- aquatint on wove paper, no. 2 of an edition of 75
- 66 by 51cm., 26 by 20in.
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'IMAGE OF SEAMUS HEANEY'
- Price Realised: €2,700
- Sale: 04 December 2023
- lithograph; (no. 37 from an edition of 75)
- 23 x 17½in. (58.42 x 44.45cm)
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'THE TÁIN. THE BIRTH OF CONCHOBOR, 1969'
- Price Realised: €2,700
- Sale: 02 October 2023
- lithographic brush drawing; (no. 45 from an edition of 70)
- 15 x 21in. (38.10 x 53.34cm)
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'JAMES JOYCE AND SAMUEL BECKETT'
- Price Realised: €2,700
- Sale: 22 March 2021
- lithograph; (no. 76 from edition of 100)
- 22¼ x 29¾in. (56.52 x 75.57cm)
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'HUMAN IMAGE XII, 2005'
- Price Realised: €2,700
- Sale: 04 March 2019
- silkscreen; (no. 26 from edition of 75)
- 34 x 25in. (86.36 x 63½cm)
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'JAMES JOYCE AND SAMUEL BECKETT'
- Price Realised: €2,700
- Sale: 25 May 2015
- lithograph; (no. 85 from edition of 100)
- 20 x 25in. (50.80 x 63½cm)
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'HUMAN IMAGE II, 2005'
- Price Realised: €2,700
- Sale: 26 May 2014
- silkscreen print; (no. 35 from an edition of 75)
- 34 by 25.25in., 85 by 63.125cm.
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'THE TÁIN. NAKED WOMAN, 1969'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 27 September 2021
- lithographic brush drawing; (no. 53 from an edition of 70)
- 21¼ x 15in. (53.98 x 38.10cm)
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'CHILDREN IN A WOOD III, 1991'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 31 May 2021
- lithograph on handmade Japan paper; (no. 22 from an edition of 75)
- 19½ x 25½in. (49.53 x 64.77cm)
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'IMAGE OF W. B. YEATS, 1975'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 25 May 2020
- poster
- 28 x 20in. (71.12 x 50.80cm)
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'THE TÁIN. CHARIOTS, 1969'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 27 May 2019
- lithographic brush drawing; (no. 27 from an edition of 70)
- 15 x 21in. (38.10 x 53.34cm)
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'THE TÁIN. LEAPING WOLFHOUND, 1969'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 01 October 2018
- lithographic brush drawing; (no. 27 from an edition of 70)
- 21¼ x 15¼in. (53.98 x 38.74cm)
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'STUDY TOWARDS AN IMAGE OF W.B. YEATS, 1975'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 01 October 2018
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etching with aquatint; (no. 28 from an edition of 30) - 22¾ x 30in. (57.79 x 76.20cm)
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'THE TÁIN. ARMY MASSING, 1969'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 30 May 2016
- lithographic brush drawing; (no. 53 from an edition of 70)
- 14¾ x 21¼in. (37.47 x 53.98cm)
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'PROCESSION WITH LILIES'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 30 May 2016
- lithograph; (no. 61 from an edition of 75)
- 22½ x 30in. (57.15 x 76.20cm)
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'CHILD WITH DOLL, HOMMAGE À JANKEL ADLER, 1949'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 24 November 2014
- lithograph (from an edition of 20)
- 30½ x 20½in. (77.47 x 52.07cm)
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'CHILDREN IN A WOOD II, 1991'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 26 May 2014
- lithograph on handmade Japan paper; (no. 8 from an edition of 75)
- 20 by 26in., 50 by 65cm.
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'EIGHT IRISH PORTRAITS, 1990'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 27 May 2006
- offset photolithographic prints (no. 417 from an edition of 1,000)
- 19 by 16cm., 7.5 by 6.25in.
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'STUDY TOWARDS A HEAD OF LORCA'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 25 April 2006
- signed lower right; inscribed lower left
- 51 by 44cm., 20.2 by 17.5in.
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'THE TAIN'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 12 June 2005
- lithograph (no. 7 from an edition of 70)
- 38 by 53cm., 15 by 21in.
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'CUCHULAINN'
- Price Realised: €2,600
- Sale: 27 April 2004
- aquatint on Arches paper
- 41 by 41cm., 16 by 16in.