Diarmuid Larkin

Diarmuid Larkin (1 April 1918 – 25 June 1989) was an Irish artist and art educationist. He was predominantly a painter of landscapes, although his work became more abstract over time.

Early life and education Diarmuid Larkin was born on 1 April 1918 in Dublin, the eldest of three children of Maura Larkin (née Noonan) and John Larkin (also known as Seán Ó Lorcáin). Despite showing early signs of talent and wishing to become an artist, his father opposed it and apprenticed him as a lithographer with the Dublin Illustrating Company. In 1941, he entered the school of painting at the National College of Art. While there, he worked with several distinguished artists, including Harry Kernoff, Norah McGuinness, and Maurice MacGonigal. After graduating in 1945, he studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid until 1947, after which he studied briefly in Paris.

Larkin's 1981 book Art teaching and learning: A Seven-year Manual for the Primary/Elementary Teacher (described as an "enduring contribution to art education in Ireland") details Larkin's own philosophy. He believed that art should be a "multi-sensory experience" for children, which would improve their critical thinking and ultimately enhance their adult life.

As a venture and by his own choice, Larkin's creative work was rarely public or sold at auction. Many of his landscape paintings were inspired by the picturesque Atlantic region of Connemara in County Galway. Though figurative, his direct style became far more abstract after visiting the United States on a research trip in around 1970, at which point he was heavily influenced by abstract expressionism and the works of such artists as Arshile Gorky, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning. Larkin saw his own work as a "response to the constant flux of nature," attempting "to capture his experience of a place or scene and his emotional reaction to it." His works include Wolfhound, Boats in the dock, Wicklow, Path Through the Moors, and Amagedon, which sold for $4,531 in 2006.

Personal life Larkin had two daughters and five sons. One son, Seán, has held senior posts at several Irish art institutions, including director of the Dún Laoghaire School of Art and Design.

Death and burial Diarmuid Larkin died on 25 June 1989 in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. He was buried on 28 June in Shanganagh Cemetery.