Sean Keating: Art, Politics and Building the Irish Nation

by Eimear O'Connor

This book is an outstanding examination of Sean Keating's 70-year working life as an artist, art teacher, broadcaster, and public commentator. Based on extensive research and previously unavailable archival material, the book is the first-ever, full-scale work on the artist, offering a complete, thematically-based, well-balanced portrait. Revealing previously unknown insights into Keating's life, the book discusses his difficulties at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, the networks of people he knew (such as Harry Clarke, Charles Lamb, Paul Henry, and William Orpen), the projects he engaged in, and his sometimes self-destructive relationships with those whom he could not respect. This ground-breaking study explores Sean Keating's expansive career, from his overtly political paintings of the War of Independence and the Civil War, to the artist's engagement with the Aran Islands, to his recording of the early industrialization of the new State. Also covered are his controversial articles, letters, and RTE broadcasts from the 1930-1950s, which served to bring Keating both public admiration and official criticism. Richly illustrated with over 200 color paintings, sketches, and photographs, the book will be the definitive work on this hugely respected yet controversial Irish artist. *** "[Eimear O'Connor] succeeeds in bringing Keating to life, fleshing out a character beyond the stereotype of the irascible opponent of modernism and the defender of tradition. By far the greatet revelation of this monograph is the role of May Keating in her husband's life and politics." - Irish Literary Supplement, Vol. 35, No. 1, Fall 2015 [ Art, Art History, Irish Studies, Politics]

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2013

About the author

Dr Éimear O’Connor HRHA is an art historian, curator, lecturer, art advisor and archivist. She was born and lives in Dublin, Ireland. O’Connor began her professional career as a visual artist and has exhibited in Ireland, Denmark and North America. She specialised in site-specific work, and has also designed album covers, book covers and stage settings.

She studied art history and history as a mature student in UCD and was awarded a BA (Hons) in 2003, which was followed by a PhD from the School of Art History and Cultural Policy (UCD) in 2008. O’Connor was a post-doctoral scholar with TRIARC-Irish Art Research Centre (TCD) (2008-10) and was then awarded the Clare and Tony White post-doctoral fellowship (2010-11). She is now a Research Associate with TRIARC-Irish Art Research Centre (TCD). For the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork she has curated Seán Keating: Contemporary Contexts (13 July – 27 October, 2012) and for the ESB and the RHA she has curated Seán Keating and the ESB: Enlightenment and Legacy (RHA Gallery 5 September – 21 December).



She has published books and catalogues, and several articles and reviews on Irish art. Her new book, titled Seán Keating: Art, Politics and Building the Nation will be published by Irish Academic Press in 2013.

She writes chapters, articles, reviews and catalogue notes, and she lectures in universities, art institutions, libraries, schools and communal gatherings on Irish, European and North American twentieth-century art.