John

One of the most significant Irish painters of the 20th century, Jack Butler “J.B” Yeats was most famous for his beautiful paintings of the Irish landscapes. He began his career as an illustrator for magazines and comic strips before he began exploring painting in oils. He was influenced by French Impressionism and his paintings displayed elements of Romanticism. The subject matter of his painting ranged from Celtic mythology to landscapes and genre paintings. With time he developed his own Expressionistic style of work and used a wide range of bright colours and free brushstrokes. His paintings are noted to share similarities with those of his good friend, the artist Oscar Kokoschka. Although not active in the Irish Republican movement, he expressed his sympathy towards the cause through his moving and realistic depictions of the urban and rural life in Ireland to portray a modern Dublin. His painting of a girl placing flowers at the place where British soldiers had shot down Irish volunteers who were unsuccessfully trying to prevent arms from landing was a poignant expression of the nationalist sentiments prevalent during those times. In addition to being a painter, he was also the author of several books and had an interest in theatre.