When Time Began to Rant and Rage: Figurative Painting from Twentieth-Century Ireland [Hardcover]

James Steward (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1998

This is the first book to tackle the develop ment of Irish 20th-century art in its socio-political contex t. Works from major artists are included for example Jellett , Keating and Duffy which are examined by leading art and cu ltural historians. '

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Merrell Holberton (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858940591
• ISBN-13: 978-1858940595
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,668,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quintessential Ireland!, August 2, 2002

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Time Began to Rant and Rage: Figurative Painting from Twentieth-Century Ireland (Hardcover)

This very sophisticated book is far more than the accompanying catalogue for a travelling exhibition by Irish artists that took place in 1998 -1999. Ireland is a country steeped in artistic tradition though most of us know that tradition in the guise of literature, poetry, and drama instead of painting. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, J.M. Synge, O'Casey, Seamus Heaney, and the McCourts to just tickle the surface. The wise editor Steward opens this volume with a thoroughly entertaining and informing essay 'The Irishness of Irish Painting' and then has the good graces to turn over the remainder of the written half of this book to fine essayists who write about 'Politics', 'Jack Yeats and the Making of Irish Art in the Twentieth Century', 'Irish Women Painters and the Introduction of Modernism', and 'Madonna and Maiden, Mistress and Mother: Woman as Symbol of Ireland and Spirit of the Nation'. All of these ( and there are more!) add a variety of style and perspective to the impressive pictorial catalogue which follows in the second half of this book. Thus prepared solidly we are free to bask in the beauty of the works by Sir William Orpen, Willaim Leech, Sir John Lavery, Paul Henry, Roderic O'Conor, Jack B. Yeats, Sean Keating, Dermot Seymour, Patrick Graham, Christopher Campbell - the list is very large. So many of these fine painters are instantly recognizable to the inveterate museum goer, but many do not enjoy the world fame of their contemporaries. After spending time with this book I think you will wonder why....... A very fine collecton and well conceived and produced book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irish Art Book Amazing, March 29, 2000

By 

Annie Marshak (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Time Began to Rant and Rage: Figurative Painting from Twentieth-Century Ireland (Hardcover)

This is an amazing book from an amazing art exhibit. Since all the artwork has returned to it's original collections, all that remains is this book. It illustrates the intense passion and political ideology of Ireland over the past 100 years. Many artist rarely mentioned are included in this vast work, artists whose work powerful, humourous, beautiful - art that enriches the human experience. If you have any interest in Irish art, be you an Irish-American or an international art enthusiast, purchase this book to open a new world of art for you and to enjoy for many years to come.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, January 15, 2011

By 

Benjamin (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: When Time Began to Rant and Rage: Figurative Painting from Twentieth-Century Ireland (Hardcover)

This text heavy volume looks at art in Ireland in the twentieth century especially in its political and social context. With essays from a number of contributors, the book opens with a chronology setting out the significant developments in Ireland's history since 1800. The book concludes with a brief biography for each artist and a bibliography.

Just over half the book is devoted to the Catalogue, with many of the artists represented by several paintings. Each work is reproduced in full colour to a size as large as the page will permit allowing for format, on the facing page is an illuminating discussion of each painting. Over seventy works are featured and in addition to the seventy plus colour plates there are several black and white illustrations the Catalogue. The preceding essays are also well illustrated with numerous, albeit often small, black and white reproductions or artists' work.

This is a fascinating and informative publication, and illustrates well the progress and diversity of painting during the twentieth century in Ireland.