Sarah Henrietta Purser
, Irish, 1848-1943
Title
Portrait of Roger Casement, (1864-1916), Patriot and RevolutionaryDate1914
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
84 x 61 cm
Credit LinePresented, Mr J. McGrath, 1958
Object numberNGI.1376
DescriptionRoger Casement was born in Sandycove, Co. Dublin but grew up in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim. He joined the British Colonial Service in 1892 and became known internationally as an investigator of human rights abuses. Casement's interest in Irish nationalism was longstanding. He was a member of the Gaelic League and joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913, soon after retiring from the civil service. He invoked the assistance of Germany in arming a rebellion in Ireland, and was given some weapons for use in the planned 1916 Rising. However, The Aud, the ship on which these arms were being transported, was intercepted off the Kerry coast, and Casement was tried for treason after the Easter Rising and executed on 3 August, 1916. Having trained in Paris, Sarah Puser pursued a career as a portrait painter. She was also an influential figure in the promotion of the visual arts in Ireland in the first half of the 20th century. Here, she depicts Casement as an elegant, dapper and quietly authoritative figure.Label TextCasement was born in Sandycove, Co. Dublin but grew up in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim. Serving in the British colonial service, he became known internationally for his reports on human rights abuses and was knighted in 1911. He developed a deep interest in Irish nationalism, however, becoming a member of the Gaelic League and joining the Irish Volunteers in 1913. He invoked the assistance of Germany in arming a rebellion in Ireland, but was captured shortly after The Aud, a ship carrying weapons and ammunition, was intercepted off the Kerry Coast. He was tried for treason and executed on 3 August, 1916.
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