The National Gallery of Ireland was one of
Samuel Beckett
's favorite Dublin haunts. He whiled away many hours there and was particularly drawn to works by Perugino, Poussin, Rembrandt, and Rubeens. Encouraged by his friend Thomas MacGreevy, who later became director of the Gallery, Beckett developed a life-long passion for art. Essays trace Beckett's interest in art from its origins in the National Gallery, through his admiration for the work of Jack B. Yeats, to his art criticism and associations with contemporary artists including Bram van Velde, Alberto Giacometti, and Avigdor Arikha. The book concludes with the proceedings of the round table discussion "
and the Visual Arts." Contributors include Nicholas Allen, John Banville, Riann Coulter, Dellas Henke, Charles Klabunde, James Knowlson, R©mi Labrusse, David Lloyd, Breon Mitchell, Lois Oppenheim, Peggy Phelan, and Susan Schreibman.