Seen and Unseen: Travellers in 19th Century Irish Art

 

TALKS

Seen and Unseen: Travellers in 19th Century Irish Art

An Illustrated Talk with David Joyce

Thurs 09 July | 6pm

Event Details

Times & Dates:
Thurs 09 July | 6pm

Duration:
70 minutes

Event Categories:
Talks

Admission:
€14

Age Suitability:
16+

Venue:
Yeats Building, Hyde Bridge

While Romani figures became a familiar presence in British art, Irish Travellers were rarely represented by leading Irish artists. Instead, a small number of lesser-known painters, including Nathaniel Grogan and Samuel Watson, provide some of the earliest visual records of Traveller life.

Through these rare and often overlooked works, the talk considers how art can both distort and document reality -offering glimpses into social conditions, family life and cultural practices, while also reflecting the biases of the time.

David Joyce is a solicitor. He has a keen interest in the history of his community, Irish Travellers, and has written and published articles on the history of Romany in Ireland, the Historical Criminalisation of Travellers In Irish Law and the representation of the community in visual art in Ireland.