Sir, – I read with great enjoyment the “wish lists” of some of your critics (Arts Books, December 1st). However, I was struck by the relative paucity of references to things Irish among those who write about the arts.
As a counterpoint to this, in a culture where the visual arts have tended to be a poor cousin of Irish literature and music, it was pleasing to see how many of your contributors referred to works of art: from the Book of Kells, to paintings by Martin Gale and Eithne Jordan, Frida Kahlo, Rothko, Howard Hodgkin and Basquiat, to sculpture by Alice Maher, an Alphabet pendant by Alan Ardiff and a book of photography.
Furthermore, your critics wrote about these works of art in a deeply romantic way, suggesting that the visual arts still retain a sense of magic in these somewhat dark, materialistic times! This was heartening. – Yours, etc,