Maurice MacGonigal

Maurice MacGonigal (22 January 1900 – 31 January 1979) was an Irish landscape and portrait painter and influential teacher.

Life Maurice MacGonigal was born in Ranelagh, Dublin on 22 January 1900. His parents were Francis and Caroline MacGonigal (née Lane). His father was a painter and decorator from Sligo. MacGonigal was the only son, and the third child. He was educated at Synge Street Christian Brothers School, and in 1915 was apprenticed to the stained glass studios of his uncle Joshua Clarke. His father was a partner in this studio at 33 North Frederick Street, and Clarke was MacGonigal's uncle and he worked alongside his cousin, Harry Clarke. During this time, MacGonigal learnt decorative design and drawing.

He was a member of the Academy of Christian Art from 1933. He served as the keeper of the RHA school twice, between 1934 and 1939 and 1950 to 1961, living at the keeper's residence on Ely Place during his second tenure. In 1926, MacGonigal founded the Radical Club, exhibiting work there. His work, A Dublin studio, includes fellow members such as Séan Keating, Harry Kernoff, Frank O'Connor, and Seán O'Sullivan. He also designed the sets for the first production of The silver tassie by Sean O'Casey in Dublin, in the Abbey Theatre in 1935. From 1937 to 1954, MacGonigal served as assistant professor of painting at the newly reformed National College of Art (NCA) under Keating. He succeeded Keating as professor in 1954, remaining in the post until 1969. From 1947 to 1978, he was professor of painting at the RHA, and president from 1962 to 1978. From the 1960s, MacGonigal's work became more abstract, as demonstrated in Composition (1961) which shows influence from cubism. In 1963, he was made an honorary member of the Royal Academy, London, and in 1964 an honorary member of Royal Scottish Academy. MacGonigal resigned as professor in NCA in response to the 1969 student revolt against the conservative curriculum, citing an erosion of the educational authority of the teachers. He was a critic of the Irish government's tax-free status to creative artists brought into effect in 1969, stating that it would bring "the art parasites of Europe" to Ireland.

MacGonigal served as a governor and guardian of the National Gallery of Ireland, and in 1970 was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the National University of Ireland. In 1971 he sat on the advisory committee of the Project Art Centre, Dublin, and from 1972 was an elected member of the Water Colour Society of Ireland. The Limerick City Gallery of Art holds a self portrait of MacGonigal, and in 1991 the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art held a major retrospective exhibition of his work.

Selected works The beach at Renvyle (1930) Manannán Mac Lir series (1932) commissioned by Irish Hospitals' Trust Dockers (1934) A Dublin studio (c.1935) Mural for the Irish pavilion at the New York world's fair (1939) The rescue from the prison van at Manchester (1940–46) An gorta (The famine) (1946) A summer's day (1948) Early morning, Connemara (Mannin Bay) (1965) Stony beach, Feothanach (1972) Races, Ballyconneely, County Galway (1976)