Juno and the Paycock

Artist Harry Clarke (1889 - 1931)

Datec. 1927

MediumWatercolour and pencil on cardboard

Dimensions46 x 18.5 cm

ClassificationsWatercolours

Credit LineCollection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery. Purchased, 1997.

Object number1905

DescriptionThis watercolour is preparatory work for Clarke's stained glass masterpiece The Geneva Window, 1929, originally commissioned by the Irish Government to represent Ireland at the International Labour organisation in Geneva. The window unfortunately was never installed in its intended destination because of official disapproval at Clarke's depiction of some of the figures. The Geneva Window (Collection: Wolfsonian Foundation, Miami) consists of panels illustrating scenes from 20th century literature by Irish writers, playwrights and poets.

Juno and the Paycock (From the play of the same name by Sean O'Casey)

"Joxer’s song, Joxer’s song

give us wan of your shut-eyed ones."

In this vignette, we see the immediately recognisable actor, F J McCormick, one of Clarke's favourite actors, who created the part of Joxer Daly at the Abbey Theatre in 1924. In Act II of O'Casey's play, he stands beneath the original set, featuring "the crossed festoons of coloured paper chains" stretched across the ceiling of the vulgarly over-decorated room, about to respond to his sidekick Captain Boyle's "Ordher for Joxer's song!", stoked up by the "bottle o'stout' and 'dhrop o' whiskey' graphically depicted beside him.

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