Today’s work of art is by the Irish-born artist William Michael Harnett known for his Trompe-l’œil still life paintings.
As Laurien Gilbert explains:
William Harnett emigrated from Ireland to the US during the potato famine. Working as an engraver during the day, he took night classes at art schools in Philadelphia and New York…evidently to great effect! His still lifes fall under the heading of American Realism. While he did paint the obligatory musical instruments, tankards, and hanging game, it was his interest in the unusual (horseshoes, books, bills), and the trompe l’oeil precision of his renderings, that made him special.
This painting, Materials For A Leisure Hour, was painted in 1879 and today hangs in the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. And how could the materials for an hour of leisure not include a bottle of beer and a tankard for your beer.
To learn more about Michael Harnett, check out his biography on Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Britannica. You can also see more of his works on Athenaeum
ArtCyclopedia and the Artchive and WikiMedia.
This week’s work of art is by a portrait of Arthur Guinness, the founder of the Guinness beer empire, whose birthday may have been yesterday in 1724 or 25, no one is precisely sure. It’s been used by the brewery for some time, was most likely painted in the 18th century, though who painted it is not revealed.
At long last, Diageo has announced that Guinness Foreign Extra Stout will be returning to the United States. Discontinued after Prohibition in 1920, it’s been 90 years since it was legally available here. Thanks to Beer Advocate for the tip.
From the press release:
Tuesday, September 28th is National Drink Beer Day! As if you didn’t already have reason to raise a pint, GUINNESS Irish Stout is proud to announce its U.S. launch of GUINNESS Foreign Extra Stout (FES) on October 1st. The fullest in flavor of the GUINNESS brand variants, GUINNESS FES is carbonated unlike the nitrogenated GUINNESS Draught with which most Americans are familiar. The specialty beer is 7.5% ABV and possesses strong, roasted aromas followed by a unique bittersweet taste. Foreign Extra Stout is already a favorite of many around the world, making up 45% of GUINNESS sales globally, and is sure to be a favorite of beer aficionados here in the U.S.
GUINNESS Foreign Extra Stout (FES) is brewed with the highest hop rate of all the GUINNESS variants. The generous hop additions express fully the beers distinctive character and flavor while also prolonging shelf life in warmer climates, as hops are the best natural preservative for beer. GUINNESS FES is uniquely different from GUINNESS Draught both in taste profile, color and ritual.
Brewed for more than two centuries, GUINNESS FES dates back to 1801. Known as West India Porter until the mid nineteenth century, FES was an export beer brewed with extra hops, giving the beer a more intense flavor and higher alcohol strength. The extra hops also acts as a natural preservative for beer, allowing it to survive long journeys overseas.
It’s nice to see a good decision by Diageo on behalf of the Guinness brand instead of gimmicks like Guinness Extra Cold or Guinness Red.
Today’s works of art are by John Skelton, an Irish artist who passed away last year, in 2009. Born in 1925, Skelton studied art in Belfast, Northern Ireland and later at St. Martins School of Art, London, where he began his career in the 1940s. The first painting of Skelton’s I stumbled upon is not part of the works featured in his online gallery, it’s title is Aran Pintmen. There’s a Guinness sign above a half dozen lads at the bar drinking their pints of Guinness that reads “Guinness Is Good For You” in Gaelic.
Here is the Guinness painting. Below is a larger version in a frame on a wall.
Several other of his paintings were also set in Irish pubs
Donegal Man. Killibegs, Co. Donegal, from 1999.
A Corner In A Kerry Pub, from 2001.
A Drink With Brendan, from 2001.
To see more of Skelton’s work, check out his paintings at Osin Gallery, where you can also read his biography. The artist’s son Michael is also setting up a new website, John Skelton Online, to honor his father’s memory and his legacy.
The sixth Guinness poster by John Gilroy is another of the many ads that are in a zoo. In this one, one of the most famous, an ostrich has swallowed a pint glass whole and it’s visible in his long neck. The tagline is perhaps one of the most common, “My Goodness, My Guinness.”
Virtually the same ad has also appeared in a slightly different aspect ratio.
The fourth Guinness poster on our John Gilroy odyssey is a double, this time featuring not one, but two pint glasses of Guinness. The tagline is the also popular “Guinness Is Good For You” which is used on many later ads.
