Bestselling Irish author Marian Keyes has said she is "bowled over" by a new portrait of her which has been unveiled by the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
The portrait, an oil painting entitled The Composition - A Portrait of Marian Keyes, was painted by artist Margaret Corcoran and is the latest addition to the national portrait collection at the gallery and will go on display this April.
Keyes, who lives in in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, has sold over 30 million books worldwide and published a total of 15 novels in a total of 37 languages.
Dublin-born Corcoran studied Fine Art at the National College of Art and Design and the Chelsea School of Art in London.
Well, hello!!!! I am SO honoured and SO delighted that the National Gallery of Ireland commissioned the AMAZING Margaret Corcoran to paint my portrait. I LOVE it. It will be part of the national collection. On public view from April 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 https://t.co/ucRQEZqAjY
— Marian Keyes (@MarianKeyes) February 12, 2024
She has been inspired by a rich range of sources and her work has been displayed in solo and group shows in Ireland and abroad, and features in several prestigious public collections, such as the Office of Public Works and the Arts Council of Ireland.
Speaking about the new portrait, Keyes said, "It was a surprise and a huge honour when the National Gallery invited me to sit for a portrait for inclusion in the national portrait collection.
"Margaret Corcoran and I met and the personal connection was immediate: she's very warm and wears her talent lightly. We also discovered we’re almost exactly the same age. And I love her work, there’s a playfulness there and a great humanity.
"She very generously discussed her ideas for the portrait with me. However, from the beginning I understood that I should in no way try to influence how she worked: she’s an artist and I respect that totally.
"She had to be true to her vision, her sense of what she needed to create, and I had no right to try and steer it. As a result, I tried to take personal vanity out of it. The portrait was not about how I saw myself but how Margaret Corcoran, the artist, did. If she decided to go the full Francis Bacon, then so be it.
She added, "However, I was bowled over by the finished portrait: I love it; the colours, the textures, the mood, the many tiny details. I don’t have the language to analyse art but it feels as if she’s captured me.
"The playfulness that she’s so great at is definitely there. I’m absolutely delighted and incredibly proud of this beautiful honour. May I offer heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this possible."
Margaret Corcoran said, "I portrayed Marian in the house where she has written many of her books. The walls in her house were yellow, though the yellow in my painting refers to The Song Rehearsal, painted by Edgar Degas in 1873.
"I associate Marian with a vibrant colour palette - both in personality and in her own style and decor. It was my aim to paint not only a portrait but an image that spoke to the fondness of her readers both nationally and globally.
"I felt lucky in the process of painting Marian’s portrait to have been accompanied by the astounding exhibition - Lavinia Fontana - at the National Gallery of Ireland. The work of this female Renaissance artist was an enormous help as a reference - particularly in the detail of the clothing.
"I titled the painting The Composition - A Portrait of Marian Keyes because within those walls the act of composition occurs. An imaginary landscape appears to form from her hands - which is the realm that any author lives in during the act of writing.
"As a painter I too share the act of composition while creating her portrait. The background and areas of her garment were a way of allowing my own personal style of working to speak in a poetic form through the portrait."
Dr Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said, "It is a great honour to unveil this portrait of Marian Keyes. Marian’s books mean so much to so many across the island of Ireland and beyond.
"To have her represented in the National Gallery of Ireland is very exciting. The origins of our national portrait collection date back to 1875.
"It is regularly being enhanced by commissioned portraits of prominent figures from contemporary Irish life and is a source of joy and fascination for our Irish and international visitors. We know that this new work by Irish artist Margaret Corcoran will be a draw for our audiences young and old."
The national portrait collection at the National Gallery of Ireland, which marks its 160th anniversary this year, celebrates the most influential figures in Irish history. The fields of Irish endeavour represented in the national portrait collection range from sport, literature and broadcasting to theatre and social justice.
A selection of works from the collection will be on display in Room 23 in the Dargan Wing in April.
