Summer Evening, Achill Island Micheál De Búrca

Summer Evening ~ Micheál de Búrca from the Ulster Museum Collection. This stunning painting captures the sunlight dancing on the sea. The foreground with the turf and figures places the landscape along the Wild Atlantic Way.

Summer Evening by Micheál de Búrca in this painting the artist captures the sunlight dancing on the ocean. The artist uses white to give the light and warmth of the setting sun on the sea. This is a wonderful card full of the magical light of the West.

Micheál de Búrca

Micheál de Búrca born in Castlebar. After that he went on to study at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. Later again he is appointed an Art Inspector with the Department of Education. During this time he visits schools around the country and draws up the national art syllabus.

In 1941, he was appointed Director of the National College of Art, directing staff whose classes he had been attending as a student. He still painted and exhibited as Director. He was living proof that one could fulfil the role of artist and administrator with skill and proficiency. During the war, he re-introduced stained glass, screen printing, weaving and metalwork to the college.

Micheál was a fluent gaeilgeoir and was proud of his Irish tradition. He had a deep respect for travellers and mischievously signed a series of paintings ‘Máirtín Maughan,’ honouring a well-known local traveller. He re-introduced art to the people by arranging to have works of art exhibited in local technical schools as part of a national tour, a revolutionary concept for the time. These works included pieces by Sir John Lavery, Walter Osborne, Nathaniel Hone, Patrick Tuohy, Maurice MacGonigal, Seán O’Sullivan, Jack B Yeats, John Keating, Laetitia Hamilton, JH Craig, Harry Kernoff, Charles Lamb and Micheál de Búrca himself. The tour was an outstanding success.

During his term as National College of Art Director and member of the Royal Hibernian Academy, there were constant rows about Government support for the arts. He dealt with many Ministers over the years but the late Patrick Hillery was singled out as the Minister who offered the most support to Micheál.