First pictures of George Bernard Shaw painting in Muckross

A unique palette knife oil painting of George Bernard Shaw, by Co. Donegal artist Mark McFadden, was unveiled at the Muckross Park Hotel & Spa in Ireland to commemorate the playwright’s 167th anniversary.

Crafted over a 12-month period and standing at an impressive 5 feet 6 inches tall, (167cm), the piece was carefully brought to life by self-taught artist McFadden, who hails from the small Irish-speaking Gaeltacht town of Falcarragh in north-west Co. Donegal.

The painting is a tribute to Bernard Shaw, who was born in Portobello, Dublin on July 26th, 1856, and who is strongly suggested to have written the world-famous play Pygmalion at Muckross Park in the picturesque town of Killarney - capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kerry.

“Shaw is one of only two people to have been awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature (in 1925) and an Academy Award (in 1938),” Mark McFadden said.

“A triumph at the Oscars for an adapted screenplay of his play Pygmalion was a personal victory of immense significance. Thus, he remains an enduringly inspiring and legendary figure, not only to me, but also for future generations”.

Master of palette knife oil painting, McFadden employs a distinctive colourful and textured layering technique which has catapulted his work into the private collections of Monaco’s Prince Albertthe son of Princess Grace Kelly - singer Julian Lennon, and the Levett Family Trust.

“I can’t recall exactly how long it took me to paint Shaw – it was certainly over a year, with lots of perseverance, through enormous doubt and through various personal carnage and associated tears that tends to go with the tooth and claw of art,” McFadden said.

“One of my heroes was 19th-century painter Vincent van Gogh, who used the impasto technique of applying paint to canvas using a knife. It takes time, and you think a lot about quitting, but the result can be incredible”.

In a fascinating twist to what promises to be a memorable unveiling, the jury is still out on how much of Shaw’s world-famous work Pygmalion was actually writ- ten in the hotel.

The writer developed an affection for the venue, spending numerous summer evenings reading and writing in the gardens and relishing the cosy ambience of the bar now known as ‘The Monk's Lounge’.

“Shaw and his wife Charlotte Payne Townsend certainly stayed at the hotel on several occasions, and there are strong indications that parts of Pygmalion were written here,” said Garrett Power, General Manager at Muckross Park Hotel & Spa.

“The play, of course, later evolved into the timeless classic ‘My Fair Lady,’ star-