Áine Divine, Irish
Title: Portrait of Mo Mowlam (1949-2005)
Date: 2004
Medium: Watercolour on paper
Dimensions:
100 x 70 cm
Credit Line: Purchased, 2019
Object Number: NGI.2019.222
DescriptionÁine Divine’s portrait of Mo Mowlam, a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, skilfully captures both the strength and fragility of the unconventional Labour politician. The artist’s characteristic style, which combines loose areas of wash with detailed passages delineating the facial features, seems to have brought something of the essence of the sitter to paper. Aine Divine painted Mowlam alongside two other selected artists in a grand light filled room in Stormont Castle with camera crews in attendance, for a BBC TV programme ‘Star Portraits’ (2004). After the initial sitting the artists had two weeks to complete the portrait. Mo Mowlam’s relaxed pose and clear gaze indicates that she was comfortable in the artist’s presence.