Treall Eireanach

Treall Eireanach (Original: Graphite on paper, 2019)

During my time in Dublin, I saw an exhibit by Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known at Canaletto. He was known for painting works called cappriccios, or pieces depicting great monuments and sculptures, but the artist takes the liberty of placing them in the painting in locations that he feels make a better composition than their placement in the real world. I liked this idea and decided to make an Irish cappriccio. However, the word cappriccio is Italian for "caprice" or "whim" so I decided to title the work in Irish instead of Italian -- hence Treall Eireanach, or "Irish Whim."

The elements in my piece come from photos I took while visiting the Rock of Cashel, in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland.