In the Gallery

I was at a lunchtime recital in the National Gallery of Ireland. The Dublin International Piano Competition takes place in May, and the Gallery are hosting recitals by the six Irish competitors in the months leading up to the competition.Today was the third in the series, with Antonia Huang giving us music by Bach, Ravel and Liszt.

After the music (the Shaw Room was packed) I had myself a little wander around some of the Gallery's rooms, stopping longest at Louis le Brocquy's wonderful painting 'A Family', which I hadn't seen in years. No sooner had I recovered from that than I left the Milltown Wing and found myself in the beautiful courtyard, which is now dominated by 'Magnus Modus' a magnificent sculpture by Joseph Walsh which was commissioned for the Gallery and dates from last year. If ever there was an example of inspired commissioning , this is it. Having been struck again by the Le Brocquy (which dates from 1951), it was wonderfully reassuring to experience this superb piece by a young contemporary Irish artist (Joseph Walsh hails from Cork, and hasn't yet reached his forties).

The Extras show Magnus Modus in context.