AFTER THE tax hikes, pension levies, universal social charges and health spending cuts of recent years, the citizens of Ireland finally got a return for their pain: a single, solitary painting.
The Return from Market, a painting donated to the State by the National Asset Management Agency, was put on display in the National Gallery yesterday. It formed part of the private art collection of property financier Derek Quinlan, who owes Nama some €230 million.
The John Lavery work, estimated to be worth about €300,000, drew plenty of admiring comments from visitors yesterday – but many felt the State should have been gifted an entire gallery full of property developers’ art.
“This is it? Just the one painting?” spluttered Denis Kelly of Leixlip, Co Kildare. “What about the others? It’s not much of a return for the Irish people. We shouldn’t be auctioning them – they should all be on display. I think the people deserve more.”
Terri Halpin from Baldoyle in Dublin was more philosophical. She stood back, admiring Lavery’s gentle evocation of an unhurried boat trip, before responding. “I can’t help noticing that it’s a woman steering the boat,” she said. “Maybe it’s a message: let the women of Ireland take over the country now that the men have made such as mess of it.”
Another visitor – an art expert who declined to be named – inspected the painting for several minutes before announcing it to be one of Lavery’s better works.
“I’m still volunteering to be in the firing squad when we come to dealing with the people who got us into this mess,” he added.
The National Gallery was more grateful. It has been storing the paintings on behalf of Nama and was delighted to benefit in the form of a work of national significance.
“This is really quite a generous gift,” a spokeswoman said. “It’s very difficult for us given the limited resources available to purchase paintings, so we rely on gifts, bequests and loans.”
Frank Daly, Nama’s chairman, said he was delighted the public would be able to enjoy the painting.
“We are grateful that the National Gallery continues to store a number of pieces of work on our behalf while we finalise preparations for their disposal by public auction,” he said.
Foreign visitors were bemused at the fuss and struggled to comprehend how private works could end up being seized by the State.
“I’m not sure I understand the background, but it is a very nice painting,” said Roberta Adamo of Sicily. “I guess it’s better than nothing.”
