Le Brocquy tapestry unveiled at RTÉ
A tapestry by Louis le Brocquy depicting a scene from the great Irish epic, 'Táin Bó Cuailgne', was unveiled in the new Television Programmes Building in RTÉ today by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Síle de Valera, TD. The tapestry, measuring 4.45 x 6.83 metres, is entitled 'The Massing of the Armies' and is based on one of a series of images originally created by Louis le Brocquy to illustrate the acclaimed translation by Thomas Kinsella of the 'Táin', which was published in 1969 by the Dolmen Press. The epic tells the story of the Brown Bull of Cooley, a legendary beast which the formidable Queen Medhbh of Connacht wished to acquire as her own. She amassed a great army to come east and take the bull, but they came face to face with one of the greatest figures in Irish mythology, Cúchulainn.
'The Massing of the Armies' was commissioned as an integral feature of the new Programmes Building in accordance with public policy on the commissioning of original works of art for new public buildings. It is installed in the reception lobby. The tapestry shows black figures of men and horses against a white background and was woven in Aubusson, France by the master lissier, René Duché. A series of smaller le Brocquy tapestries based on the Táin images also woven by M Duché were on display in the Taylor Galleries in Dublin from November 9 to December 9. This show included a smaller, colour-inverted version of 'The Massing of the Armies'.
Dr Ronald Tallon of Scott Tallon Walker, architects of the award-winning new Television Programmes Building, suggested the tapestry to RTÉ as a Millennium project. Subsequently, RTÉ commissioned it from Louis le Brocquy for the new building. The making of the tapestry in Aubusson will be the subject of a forthcoming television programme by Tommy Gorman, RTÉ's Europe Correspondent.
