Se?n Keating PRHA (1889-1977) Self Portrait Wearing a Hat Oil on canvas, 50 x 51 cm (19.5 x 20'') Signed A major aspect of Se?n Keating's training at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art was the...

Se?n Keating PRHA (1889-1977) Self Portrait Wearing a Hat Oil on canvas, 50 x 51 cm (19.5 x 20'') Signed A major aspect of Se?n Keating's training at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art was the technique of portrait painting. He proved a talented portraitist and the skill was to become vital for his economic livelihood. From the beginning of his professional career in 1914 until his death in 1977 Keating undertook hundreds of public and private portrait commissions in charcoal, pastel and oil. The fact that he also painted dozens of self-portraits was not due to any sense of self-importance or vanity. He had been taught by William Orpen to work every day in order to keep his artistic hand and eye in practice. So if there was no model available, and no commission awaiting completion, Keating turned to the next best thing - his own features. In this excellent example, which dates to the mid to late-1940s, Keating wears a hat common to the west of Ireland at that time, and layers of woollen pullovers reminiscent of the Aran Island, the colours of which serve to balance the composition. He stares out at the viewer with an intense gaze that is typical of his self-portraits. The look of concentration signals the artist's use of a mirror while working, and at the same time, it illustrates something of his character and individuality. In this instance, Keating could pass for an Aran Islander, or even, an actor in the Abbey Theatre. His sartorial reference to the Aran Islands was deliberate; from an early stage in his career, Keating's name, and his career, had become synonymous with the west of Ireland in general, and the Aran Islands in particular. Dr ?imear O'Connor TRIARC-Irish art research centre, TCD.

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