Diarmuid Larkin facts for kids

Diarmuid Larkin (born April 1, 1918 – died June 25, 1989) was an Irish artist and teacher. He was mostly known for painting landscapes. Over time, his art became more abstract, showing his warm and sensitive personality.

Diarmuid Larkin's Early Life and Learning

Diarmuid Larkin was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 1, 1918. He grew up in a family that included both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland members. He was the oldest of three children. His father, John Larkin, was a businessman in Dublin.

Even though Diarmuid showed artistic talent from a young age and wanted to be an artist, his father didn't agree at first. Instead, he had Diarmuid train as a lithographer (someone who makes prints) at the Dublin Illustrating Company.

In 1941, Diarmuid finally got to study art at the National College of Art. There, he learned from famous artists like Harry Kernoff and Norah McGuinness. He finished his studies in 1945. After that, he went to Madrid, Spain, to study at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando until 1947. He also spent a short time studying art in Paris.

Diarmuid Larkin's Career

After his studies, Larkin came back to Dublin and started his own lithography business. But he soon decided to sell it so he could focus only on art.

In 1953, he started teaching art in Ballinasloe. Then, in 1957, he moved to Mullingar to teach. In 1961, he moved to the Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute. This was a big step because he created a special one-year course for people who wanted to become art teachers. This was the first course of its kind in an Irish art school! The Dún Laoghaire School of Art and Design later became part of the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. In 1967, Larkin became a professor of art at a teacher training college in Blackrock. He stayed in this job until he retired in 1983.

In 1969, Larkin joined an important group called the Department of Education's advisory council. This group was set up to reorganize the National College of Art. He believed that art should be a "multi-sensory experience" for children. This means kids should use all their senses to explore art. He thought this would help them think better and enjoy their adult lives more. He wrote about these ideas in his 1981 book, Art teaching and learning: A Seven-year Manual for the Primary/Elementary Teacher. This book was a very important contribution to art education in Ireland.

Diarmuid Larkin didn't often show or sell his creative artwork in public. Many of his landscape paintings were inspired by the beautiful Atlantic region of Connemara in County Galway. His early paintings were more realistic. However, after a trip to the United States around 1970, his style changed a lot. He was very influenced by a style called abstract expressionism, which involves painting with strong emotions and non-realistic shapes. Artists like Jackson Pollock were famous for this style. Larkin felt his art was a way to show his feelings about nature's constant changes. He tried to capture his experience of a place and how it made him feel.

Larkin's art was shown in galleries in New York and Dublin. He also exhibited about fifty of his works at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin. Some of his well-known works include Wolfhound, Boats in the dock, Wicklow, Path Through the Moors, and Amagedon.

Diarmuid Larkin's Family

Diarmuid Larkin had seven children: two daughters and five sons. One of his sons, Seán, followed in his footsteps and held important positions at several Irish art schools. This included being the director of the Dún Laoghaire School of Art and Design.

Death and Burial

Diarmuid Larkin passed away on June 25, 1989, in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. He was buried a few days later, on June 28, in Shanganagh Cemetery.