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Alfred Downing Fripp , English, 1822-1895

Title

Interior of a Fisherman Cottage, Galway

Date1845

MediumWatercolour on paper

Dimensions

48 x 61.5 cm

Credit LinePurchased, 2015

Object numberNGI.2015.4

DescriptionDespite the sombre theme this is a lively work, drawn with verve and confidence. The basket on the floor, commonly known as a sciob, would have been filled with cooked potatoes at mealtimes and the family would gather around and eaten directly from it. The lack of a pot hanging on the fire, the fact that the dresser is poorly stocked and the sciob itself is empty symbolises the family's poverty and hunger and pre-empts the Great Famine of 1847. A similar but smaller study dated 1844 is in the National Library of Ireland's collection.
Exhibition HistoryNew Perspectives. Acquisitions 2011 - 2020, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 11 May - 2 August 2021