Edward McGuire (painter) facts for kids
Edward McGuire (born 1932, died 1986) was a talented Irish painter. He was known for his amazing portraits, detailed still-life paintings, and beautiful pictures of birds. His unique style made him a very important artist in Ireland.
About Edward McGuire
Edward McGuire was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1932. He loved art from a young age. He studied painting and art history in Rome, Italy, in 1953. He also studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London in 1954.
In the 1950s, he became friends with other artists and writers. These included Patrick Swift, who encouraged McGuire to paint. He also knew Anthony Cronin and Lucian Freud. Edward McGuire traveled in France and Italy from 1951 to 1953. He lived on the Aran Islands, off County Galway, from 1955 to 1956. After that, he lived in Dublin with his wife, Sara McGuire, until he passed away in 1986.
Showing His Art
Edward McGuire's paintings were shown in many places during his life. He had special shows just for his art in Dublin. These included shows at the Dawson Gallery in 1969 and Taylor Galleries in 1983. A big show of his past works happened in 1991.
He also took part in many group art shows. These included the Irish Exhibition of Living Art and the Royal Hibernian Academy. Even though he showed his art a lot, McGuire painted very slowly. He used a super careful and detailed technique. This meant he only finished about six paintings each year.
Edward McGuire was very interested in painting birds. This started when he was young. He met a taxidermist (someone who prepares animal specimens) at the Natural History Museum in Dublin. McGuire bought three stuffed birds from him. He then started his own bird collection. He painted these birds many times, showing every tiny detail.
Famous Portraits
Edward McGuire was a great portrait artist. A portrait is a painting of a person. He painted more than 25 portraits of poets and writers. He first showed his work at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) in 1962. He became a full member of the RHA in 1978.
Some of the famous people he painted include:
- Séamus Heaney (1974)
- Pearse Hutchinson (1970)
- Michael Hartnett (1971)
- Anthony Cronin (1977)
- John Jordan
- Seán Ó Faoláin (1978)
- Liam Cosgrave (1982)
Awards and Collections
Edward McGuire won many awards during his career. He became a member of Aosdána in 1984. Aosdána is a special group for Irish artists.
Some of his important awards include:
- The Festival International de la Peinture in France (1974)
- The Douglas Hyde Gold Medal (1976)
- The RHA Award (1976)
- The Marten Toonder Award (1978)
His paintings are kept in many important art collections. You can find his work in places like the National Gallery of Ireland. His art is also at the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art in Dublin. Other places include the Ulster Museum in Belfast and Trinity College Dublin.]
