Daniel MacDonald (1820-1853). “The Village Funeral – An Irish Family by a Graveside during the Great Famine”
The latest acquisition at the Crawford Gallery is a famine work by Cork artist Daniel MacDonald (1820-1853). “The Village Funeral – An Irish Family by a Graveside during the Great Famine” is a scene of rural Irish mourning. Daniel MacDonald is practically unique in his depictions of rural life and customs in Ireland in the 1840’s and ’50’s. Other paintings by MacDonald in the Crawford collection include Bowling Match at Castlemary, Cloyne (1842), A Country Dance or The Wedding Dance (1848), Eviction Scene (c1850) and his 1845 portrait of General Sir Rowland Smyth KCB (1845).
Rose McHugh, chairman of the Crawford Gallery board of directors said the acquisition demonstrated “a real commitment” to building the collection and ensuring works of national and international significance can be exhibited together in Cork. The government plans to invest 22 million in the gallery in the coming decade as part of Project Ireland 2040.