The polymath and genius who inspired Flann O'Brien

In this episode of 'Meet the authors', Peter Murray focuses on Irish artist Cecil Ffrench Salkeld, whose eclectic life inspired the character of Michael Byrne in Flann O'Brien's At Swim-Two-Birds. Cecil Ffrench Salkeld features in volume 5 of our series Art and Architecture of Ireland.

About the volume:
An examination of the works of art created in twentieth century Ireland and the critical contexts from which they came. Focusing on painting, photography and new media, this volume considers the work of recent conceptual and digital artists as well as those who have used more traditional techniques. Definitive biographies of many of the key artists of the era are included, and the volume also addresses the main political and social issues that lay behind twentieth-century Irish art. Through its many fine illustrations, it recreates the vibrancy of the art world of the period.

About Art and Architecture of Ireland:
Art and Architecture of Ireland is an authoritative and fully illustrated account of the art and architecture of Ireland from the early Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century. The e-version of Art and Architecture of Ireland is now available for free on jstor.org for public libraries and universities on the island of Ireland. It is also free in schools for teachers and students through JSTOR via Scoilnet.

About 'Meet the authors':
'Meet the authors' is a new video series of the Royal Irish Academy. The series started in spring 2020 when the Academy had to close its doors because of Covid-19. With this series we intend to bring our authors directly to our readers' homes, to help keep our audience informed and engaged until things get back to normal. You can watch the whole series on our YouTube channel.