Masterpiece: Ireland's Favourite Painting - 17/04/12 - RTE 1 @ 10:15pm.

Lady Chatterton

Mike Murphy returns to our screens to present Masterpiece: Ireland's Favourite Painting. Mike will provide viewers with a comprehensive introduction to the shortlist of works put forward in the search for Ireland’s favourite painting.


Masterpiece: Ireland's Favourite Painting - The Shortlist

Communicating with Prisoners, Jack B. Yeats (The Model, Sligo)

Hellelil and Hildebrand, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs, Frederic Wiliam Burton (National Gallery)

A Family, Louis Le Brocquy (National Gallery)

Lady Writing a Letter, Johannes Vermeer (National Gallery)

The Eve of Saint Agnes, Harry Clarke (Hugh Lane/Crawford)

The Artist's Studio, Sir John Lavery (National Gallery, Ulster Museum)

A Convent Garden, Brittany, William John Leech (National Gallery)

Wall of Light Orange Yellow, Sean Scully (Hugh Lane)

A Connemara Village, Paul Henry (National Gallery/Connemara)

The Taking of Christ, Caravaggio (National Gallery)

From Tuesday April 17, members of the public will be able to vote for their favourite piece online at www.rte.ie/masterpiece or through the An Post Business Response Unit, free of charge, by sending a postcard to RTÉ's Freepost address.

The final winner will be announced on a special edition of RTÉ's The Works by President Michael D Higgins on May 24.

"Don't be intimidated by the fine buildings or the art jargon or the arty intelligentsia. Trust your own response, your own instincts. These are, after all, your paintings and, in these difficult times, they are a real source of delight and inspiration on your doorstep" - Mike Murphy

I've added a poll for a bit of fun

Glenbhoy

Ah yes, the lads in Donnybrook with their fingers on the pulse of the nation once again.

I vote for Constable's "The Haywain", of course mentions must go to Jack F Kennedy and 'The Pope', although, maybe we should just give it to the most popular and prevalent painting/print in the country (and to my shame, I have no idea who painted it in the first place) - The Sacred Heart;)

grey_so_what

Thanks for that MrsD007 - Enjoyed looking at those!.....I'll be going for the stained glass windows myself....:)

Lady Chatterton

grey_so_what wrote: »

Thanks for that MrsD007 - Enjoyed looking at those!.....I'll be going for the stained glass windows myself....:)

I've added a poll so that Boardsies can have their say

grey_so_what

Vote No. 1 cast....!!!.....:)

pconn062

This seems interesting, it's just a shame RTE are giving it such a poor slot, it's too late. As usual they are afraid to take a risk and put it on earlier like all (or few) of their cultural shows.

FloatingVoter

Personally, it would be anything by Renoir or Chagall.

Favourite painting that ever fetched up in Ireland would be a more apt title.

baalthor

Glenbhoy wrote: »

Ah yes, the lads in Donnybrook with their fingers on the pulse of the nation once again.

I vote for Constable's "The Haywain", of course mentions must go to Jack F Kennedy and 'The Pope', although, maybe we should just give it to the most popular and prevalent painting/print in the country (and to my shame, I have no idea who painted it in the first place) - The Sacred Heart;)

Don't be ashamed , from extensive Google searches it's probably by "leading religious artist Simeone" but otherwise I haven't been able to find out anything else about him/her/them?

http://www.amazon.com/Simeone-Framed-Art-16-20/dp/B003CUQP40

The version found in many Irish homes was supplied by NG Basevi

grey_so_what

Don't forget the little red light underneath!...;)

Skid

I do like the look of Harry Clarke's 'the Eve of St Agnes' (the stained glass window). I might go into to have a look at it in person in the Hugh Lane Gallery, it is not really best viewed via a Computer screen.

You can't fault young Caravaggio either, to be fair. He has to be a contender, but it would be nice to see an Irish artist win.

Lady Chatterton

For anyone who is interested, here is a link to the long list (100 nominations).

http://www.rte.ie/tv/masterpiece/shortlist100.html


Here is a little bit of info on the judges.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/masterpiece/judges.html

Skid

Mike Murphy will be a guest on George Hook's programme on Newstalk at 6pm, talking about this show

http://www.newstalk.ie/2012/featured-5-slideshow-homepage/michael-oleary-joins-george-on-the-right-hook/

Mike Murphy will also be popping in to tell George about his search for Ireland’s Favourite Painting and why he doesn’t expect a second chance with Bertie Ahern.

coylemj

They should have included Robert O'Byrne's accent in the list - a masterpeice of affectation!

Lady Chatterton

coylemj wrote: »

They should have included Robert O'Byrne's accent in the list - a masterpeice of affectation!

I haven't seen him on TV in a very long time, I remember he used to be a regular contributor to RTE's Head 2 Toe fashion programme. (It used to be presented by Barbara McMahon and Pat O'Mahoney).

coylemj

He used to be a journo in the Irish Times, then he drifted into writing columns and books on fluffy topics like manners and etiquette, now he's an art critic!

JonathanAnon

Can I just state that I voted but I have no idea about art.. I only voted cos the OP (who shall remain nameless) bullied me over pm into voting on the poll.

Lady Chatterton

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Can I just state that I voted but I have no idea about art.. I only voted cos the OP (who shall remain nameless) bullied me over pm into voting on the poll.

Jonny, I'm in a state of shock here :eek::eek::eek: I might have to "unfriend" you if you continue making scurrilous claims :mad::D

coylemj wrote: »

He used to be a journo in the Irish Times, then he drifted into writing columns and books on fluffy topics like manners and etiquette, now he's an art critic!

Oh dear, I own a copy of his book Mind your Manners

grey_so_what

Are we talking about that guy with the blond hair (bad perm) who, if i remember correctly, told us on radio how to behave quote "etiquette"and how to eat (in the correct order) with imagine! knives and forks on a table......

I'd rather eat the stained glass windows.........:(

Harry Angstrom

Paddy Power have opened a book on this:


A Connemara Village....................5/2
The Taking of Christ....................7/2
Communicating with Prisoners.......9/2
Lady Writing a Letter..................11/2
The Artist's Studio ....................13/2
A Convent Garden, Brittany..........8/1
The Eve of Saint Agnes...............9/1
The Meeting on the Turret Stairs...9/1
A Family..................................14/1
Wall of Light Orange Yellow.........20/1




I've had a bet on A Connemara Village as the audience on The Saturday Night Show voted it as their number one. Even though it's not much more than a chocolate box picture, if the audience on the SNS are indicative of the rest of the country's tastes, it's worth a bet.

Harry Angstrom

Robert O'Byrne was a guest on Podge And Rodge one night and they royally took the p!ss out of him.

grey_so_what

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Robert O'Bryne was a guest on Podge And Rodge one night and they royally took the p!ss out of him.

HA...So now I know who I'm talking about...Take the pee and spit him out in "shards" (thinks of windows)..........This guy is seriously involved with this?...

Laughing and crying simultaneously......:eek:

Harry Angstrom

grey_so_what wrote: »

HA...So now I know who I'm talking about...Take the pee and spit him out in "shards" (thinks of windows)..........This guy is seriously involved with this?...

Laughing and crying simultaneously......:eek:

The only thing is, Robert O'Byrne doesn't have blond hair. This is him:

grey_so_what

HA....I'm sure he had.........more yellow than blond (meow..).......

It may have been his wild and wicked youth?....

So we this is what we are destined to define (our..) the greatest masterpiece?.....

Over to Podge and Rodge.......:(

Judgement Day

Glad to see two of the great daubers of the Art World both on 0% - Jack B.Yeats and Sean Scully. Although Yeat's work is more intelligible that most of his later overpriced rubbish. Scully's looks like a Junior Infants school project but then I did vote for Paul Henry - he of a thousand railway posters.

Skid

It's Art time, hurray !

Stripey Cat

Why weren't the public alowed to pick the short list?

They had a hundred, and whittled it down to ten by some process.

Why couldn't they have opened the internet vote up on the hundred?

grey_so_what

I remember going to Kilmainham G on a school tour........and we never wondered why.....:(

Lady Chatterton

I went to Kilmainham Jail on my sixth class tour, they have a beautiful chapel in there. Grace Gifford and Joseph Mary Plunkett married in it.

Harry Angstrom

Stripey Cat wrote: »

Why weren't the public alowed to pick the short list?

They had a hundred, and whittled it down to ten by some process.

Why couldn't they have opened the internet vote up on the hundred?

Because we the public can't be trusted.

You're not Bobby Ballagh in disguise, are you?

Lady Chatterton

LOL Grey, I'm just after seeing your post!!! Great minds and all that

Skid

Yeats had to explain that the Prisoners were Women, not Men.

At the risk of sounding naive, doesn't that mean he didn't paint them well enough (if no-one knew they were women?)

Lady Chatterton

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Because we the public can't be trusted.

You're not Bobby Ballagh in disguise, are you?

Ah no, Bobby would trust the public, it is the judges in this process he didn't trust.

Lady Chatterton

Frederic William Burton was born in Clare I really like this painting.

grey_so_what

Most of the ruffians spent their time smoking in the toilets when we were there MrsD007..and the others covering up for them....a bad lot!....

The chapel was lovely though!

MagicMarker

The Taking of Christ is incredible!

Harry Angstrom

MrsD007 wrote: »

Ah no, Bobby would trust the public, it is the judges in this process he didn't trust.

It was the judges who whittled it down to ten though, wasn't it?
Bobby was complaining about that.

grey_so_what

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

It was the judges who whittled it down to ten though, wasn't it?
Bobby was complaining about that.

He didn't sound too happy on Pat K this morning HA......:eek:

Lady Chatterton

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

It was the judges who whittled it down to ten though, wasn't it?
Bobby was complaining about that.

Yeah, I heard him on with Pat Kenny this morning, he would have preferred if the general public had chosen the masterpieces to be shortlisted.

grey_so_what

Snap again MrsD007!!!LOL..

Skid

That Burton Painting is excellent. Great story behind it ...

The princess's father regarded the young soldier, Hildebrand as an unsuitable match for his daughter and ordered his sons to kill him. The painting captures the poignant final embrace of the ill-fated lovers. The image is one of the most popular in the National Gallery's collection. Despite the tragic story portrayed, it is still viewed as one of the most romantic paintings in Ireland. There have even been marriage proposals made before it.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/masterpiece/masterpiece02.html

Harry Angstrom

grey_so_what wrote: »

He didn't sound too happy on Pat K this morning HA......:eek:

I heard him. He has a point though. The public should have voted on the 100 paintings from the start and the top ten should then have gone forward. What gives Robert O'Byrne or any of the rest of them the right to think that their opinions are more superior than others?

grey_so_what

Skid...you're killing the moment for me here!!!!!!!......

Lady Chatterton

Skid wrote: »

That Burton Painting is excellent. Great story behind it ...



http://www.rte.ie/tv/masterpiece/masterpiece02.html

We had that picture in my house growing up, I always loved it but I'm a hopeless romantic When I bought my own house, I purchased a canvas copy of the painting from the National Gallery.

grey_so_what

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I heard him. He has a point though. The public should have voted on the 100 paintings from the start and the top ten should then have gone forward. What gives Robert O'Byrne or any of the rest of them the right to think that their opinions are more superior than others?

Spot on HA.....I thought it was funny when they tried to placate him by saying he was in the 100.......and he said he didn't know!!!:rolleyes:

ProudDUB

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I've had a bet on A Connemara Village as the audience on The Saturday Night Show voted it as their number one. Even though it's not much more than a chocolate box picture, if the audience on the SNS are indicative of the rest of the country's tastes, it's worth a bet.

I wouldn't put much faith in the artistic tastes of the Saturday Night Show audience, if their idea of a rip roaring Saturday night out, is going to see The Saturday Night Show.

Am very happy that the Caravaggio and Hellelil and Hildebrand are blowing that twee piece of chocolate boxolgy out of the water in the voting.

Skid

grey_so_what wrote: »

Skid...you're killing the moment for me here!!!!!!!......

Ah, but beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know

Lady Chatterton

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I heard him. He has a point though. The public should have voted on the 100 paintings from the start and the top ten should then have gone forward. What gives Robert O'Byrne or any of the rest of them the right to think that their opinions are more superior than others?

I think they felt that people wouldn't be bothered looking through 100 paintings and the other thing that was mentioned was that process could be hi-jacked by people wanting the Brian Cowen Nude to be Ireland's Favourite Painting.

grey_so_what

chocolate boxolgy......Love it!!!!!!!!!!!

Skid

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I've had a bet on A Connemara Village as the audience on The Saturday Night Show voted it as their number one.

I will probably vote for that one then, just to do my bit for Harry's bet

grey_so_what

Skid wrote: »

I will probably vote for that one then, just to do my bit for Harry's bet

Ah now Skid....one man one vote......:D

Lady Chatterton

This is the painting that the General & Rose Dugdale robbed wasn't it?