A visionary, an enigma – brother to the immortal poet, William – and a story that’s never been told on screen. International bestseller Colm Tóibín undertakes a revelatory and philosophical exploration – powerfully brought to life by narrator Pierce Brosnan – about the legacy of Jack B. Yeats: The Man Who Painted Ireland.
The landmark film falls on the 150th anniversary of Jack’s birth as well as the War of Independence centenary, and brings together contributors from Ireland’s sphere of culture and academia – from Historian Prof. Roy Foster and Jack’s biographer Hilary Pyle to comedian Dara O’Briain and Colm Tóibín himself.
Having been in the making for over two years, the project is the vision of its Sligo-born Director, Alex Verner, who makes his documentary film debut – as he brilliantly combines emotive storytelling with breathtaking cinematography, featuring the wild Irish landscapes which shaped Jack’s life, to create a truly cinematic ‘Yeatsian’ odyssey.
As well as chronicling the evolution of the artist, with a curation of his early sketches, watercolours and most significant oils, the film also exclusively features a milestone event that shaped the Irish art landscape. A landmark auction in 2019, where Irish Revolutionary Ernie O’Malley’s stunning private collection of Yeats’ paintings was put up for sale by his son, Cormac – who emotionally reveals why he sold the works, which fetched record breaking sums.
EDITOR’S NOTE
All works featured by Jack B. Yeats © Estate of Jack B. Yeats. All rights reserved, DACS 2021
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