President Michael D. Higgins announced last night on The Works that following a public vote, Ireland’s favourite painting has been chosen as Frederic William Burton’s Hellelil and Hildebrand, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs.
The painting, which hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland, received 22% of the total vote. Sharon Corr championed the piece as one of the celebrity choices.
Speaking about the winner, President Higgins said "I think the winning piece is a very considerable and beautiful painting. The achievement in the medium is extraordinary in terms of the materials – the beautiful tones, the lovely colours, and the richness of them, the detail and the range. It’s an extraordinarily detailed and very beautiful picture. The drama of the painting is in the movement of the bodies. I see a kind of sensuality in this painting."
President Michael D. Higgins
The President added "art is about the foundations of citizenship and creativity and what we all own together and the celebration that should be available to every citizen now and into the future."
John Kelly, presenter of RTÉ’s The Works, said: "It's interesting how so many people chose a painting which has personal memories for them. The Burton picture has been well reproduced over the years and so it certainly has had that special significance in people's lives."
John Kelly, presenter of RTÉ's The Works
Mike Murphy, who presented the Masterpiece documentary which outlined the shortlist in April said "I’m delighted the Burton piece won. It’s a fantastic watercolour. Technically it is simply sensational. And it is like a still from a movie, a really well-dressed movie. We’re a nation of romantics, we love romance. I think it’s going to be etched in Irish consciousness from here on in."
Mike Murphy, presenter of the Masterpiece documentary
"I think this project has worked" he declared. "We were really trying to bring the Irish public into the art that we own and the galleries that we have at our disposal, around Ireland. I think what it has done is opened a window into the beautiful things that we own. We do have some absolute gems here".
Sharon Corr pictured in front of the winning masterpiece
Sharon Corr, who championed the Burton piece in the Masterpiece campaign, said "This painting captures the essence of human nature and how profoundly we are touched and affected by each other. It absolutely deserved to win because it truly reflects our everlasting desire to love and be loved and when we look at it we instantly feel the utter devastation of a love forbidden and also hope beyond hope. From their body language you get this huge sense of profound emotion that they’re parting and may never be together again. I think it’s a very emotional piece."
The painting in question was painted in 1864 and presented to the Gallery in 1900. The tragic and romantic painting is only viewable for three hours per week, due to its sensitivity to light and its watercolour medium.
Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, gave some background to the winning painting, stating the masterpiece was "painted by Burton when he was at the height of his career, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs has been popular since it was first exhibited in London in 1864. Masterpiece: Ireland’s Favourite Painting has highlighted the valuable contribution that the country’s museums and galleries play in people’s lives today."
Caravaggio's Taking of Christ came second in the campaign
Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ came second in the campaign, with 16% of the vote.
