''A Connemara Girl'' is an early 1870s painting by the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

artist

Augustus Nicholas Burke Augustus Joseph Nicholas Burke (28 July 1838 – 1891) was an Irish artist and an Academician of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). Early life Burke was born into the Galway Burkes of Glinsk and was the sixth son of William Burke of Kn ...

(July 28, 1838 – 1891). One of the most identifiable paintings in Ireland, it depicts a young girl in traditional

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speak ...

attire carrying a bundle near the shore. It is one of many paintings Burke created of daily life around his native Connemara. It hangs in the

National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland ( ga, Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann) houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on ...

and is one of the more popular paintings despite its simple subject matter. The painting is oil on canvas (63 x 48 cm) and was presented by Mrs Ida Monahan in 1951. The National Gallery of Ireland label text is: "Showing a young woman in traditional Connemara attire, this painting might be said to evoke rather than illustrate Augustus Burke’s beloved west of Ireland. It was probably painted before the artist’s reluctant emigration, prompted by his brother’s murder alongside the Chief Secretary in the Phoenix Park in 1882. While the artist has relied on authentic detail, particularly in the girl’s costume and the terrain, he has made no attempt to disguise the contrived nature of the composition. The central position of the figure, her head and shoulders framed by a heavy shawl, calls to mind devotional Christian imagery."

References

Irish paintings Collection of the National Gallery of Ireland House of Burgh Goats in art 1870s paintings {{19C-painting-stub