Mark McFadden’s ‘Literary Greats’ exhibition begins in Dublin

This painting of Brendan Behan and Lucian Freud is by Mark McFadden, an Irish artist from Falcarragh, Co Donegal, now living in Monaco.

It's part of McFadden's debut exhibition in Dublin, Literary Greats, at the Residence club on St Stephen's Green. The work is a series of portraits based on photographs of mainly Irish authors including Oscar Wilde, WB Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, John McGahern, John Banville and Colm Tóibín.

McFadden is self-taught, and likes to read the authors’ work while creating the portraits. He uses a palette knife and layering technique to achieve his unique style. “The palette knife is like a little trowel used by builders,” he says. “Instead of building walls I use it to build impressions of people, layer upon layer.”

McFadden's work has already attracted attention in his adopted home of southern France. At a recent exhibition, Prince Albert II of Monaco snapped up his portrait of James Joyce.

Literary Greats is at Residence, 41 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, until April 25th.

[ themarkmcfadden.com ]