Gerard Dillon (1916-1971)
Near Moyard
Oil on board, 30 x 45cm (11¾ x 17¾'')
Signed
Dawson Gallery Exhibition label verso

Exhibited: Gerard Dillon, Early Paintings of The West The Dawson...

Gerard Dillon (1916-1971)
Near Moyard
Oil on board, 30 x 45cm (11¾ x 17¾'')
Signed
Dawson Gallery Exhibition label verso

Exhibited: Gerard Dillon, Early Paintings of The West The Dawson Gallery, March, 1971, Ex Catalogue

Dillon stayed in Moyard in Connemara in 1950 and 1953 but the style of this painting would suggest it was painted from a sketch at a later date. In the late 1950s Dillon rented a cottage from an English couple in the area of Dawrosmore near Letterfrack and scenes from this period indicate he visited a number of locations between Clifden and Letterfrack. On his annual holidays to Connemara, the locals allowed him into their homes to paint portraits, or study them working outside in their fields cutting turf, thatching roofs, fishing, repairing currachs or planting vegetables. In this composition, a male figure is in the act of carrying fodder to his pony which is grazing in an enclosed field. The blue sky, washing line and cottage evoke an idyllic summers day from another era when people lived off the land. In the 1950s, before modern transport, ponies and carts carried loads of hay, turf and wrack to small farms which were sparsely located in isolated areas in the West of Ireland.

In March, 1971 Gerard Dillon was in the Adelaide hospital in Dublin recovering from a stroke when an exhibition of his Early Paintings of The West was opened at Leo Smiths Dawson Gallery. Twenty-nine oil paintings were listed in the catalogue but six oils were also exhibited but did not appear in the catalogue. This painting Near Moyard was one of those paintings which was ex-catalogue. Leo Smith made regular visits to the hospital to give Dillon news of his exhibition and Dillon shared his feelings of pleasure with his family in Belfast. In a letter to his nephew, Dillon commented:

'Leo [Smith] was here today - Ive sold 32 paintings altogether - there were some that werent in the catalogue. So, the show has been a great success from a selling point of view. (undated letter addressed to Gerard and Maureen[Dillon])

The reports in the Press and the success of the exhibition at the Dawson Gallery gave Dillon the stimulus and confidence to remain strong throughout his illness. After the exhibition ended, he wrote to his Belfast friend, Patrick Kelly in London from his hospital bed, My show in the Dawson of early work of the West of Ireland sold 35 and that is unbelievableGod isnt it a good thing Dillon did make a recovery from his illness and arrangements were being made for him to travel to London where he was expected to stay at a rehabilitation treatment center. Tragically, he had another stroke and died at the age of fifty-five on 14th June, 1971.

Karen Reihill
November, 2018

 

 

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