CAG.433 Norah Brigid Ní Chuill, Game of Cards, 1959, oil on canvas, 72 x 92 cm. © the artist’s estate.

Playtime! We’re borrowing the themes of childhood and play from our new exhibition for this WORK OF THE WEEK.

Game of Cards (1959) presents a group of children and grownups, perhaps a large family, gathered together to play. Some of the younger ones snuggle close, perhaps to ‘help’ the older players, as a red-haired woman holds a toddler and looks on.

This inter-generational moment of leisure comes at the close of a day, the group’s vardo (living wagon) brought to a stop, their horse or pony left to graze. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to compare this sweet work with A Games of Cards by John Murphy (1921-2006), maybe even spot the differences!

Rarely displayed, this painting is one of two works by Norah Brigid Ní Chuill from our collection featured in SEEN, NOT HEARD until 28 October 2019 – the other is Children Playing with Skipping Rope and Hoop.

We know very little, however, about Norah Brigid Ní Chuill herself beyond her works in our collection, and that she once showed a painting entitled Nodlaig (c.1951) at the Munster Fine Arts exhibition. We would love to know more – can you help us?