Irish Cottage and Wagtail by Robert Bateman

Irish Cottage and Wagtail by Robert Bateman.

 

Published in 1985.

 

"We saw this cottage in the rugged Connemara mountains. It belonged to the patriotic scholar, Padriac Pearse. He used it as a retreat where he did some of his thinking and writing which led to some of the uprisings against British rule. I did not paint the spectcular scenic setting of the cottage; perhaps I will do that another time. I wanted to show the integrity of the place. The building materials are the rough Connemara stones and the thatch from a local reed bed. Each one of those stones was selected and placed by strong Irish hands. Thought went into which ones would be best for the corners. Some cutting was done for fit, especially around the windows. The actual phases of the work shows in the walls almost in the way a Jackson Pollock painting is a record of his actions. A coat of whitewash was added as a touch of civilization for cleanliness and refinement. The cobblestones in the courtyard deflect the copious rain and discourage muddiness. The basin and pitcher indicate a bit of Victorian gentility. The little wagtail is a common bird of farmland and dooryards. His black and white pattern is a miniature echo of the color scheme of the picture." - R. Bateman