Cuchulainn 1974

Curator: Le Brocquy's "Cuchulainn," held here at the Tate, feels immediately striking. There's something quite visceral in its composition and coloring. Editor: It’s stark, almost brutal in its simplicity. The raw materiality of the red pigment against the muted background emphasizes the violence inherent in the Cuchulainn legend. Curator: Absolutely. Le Brocquy often grappled with Irish identity, mythology, and the complexities of post-colonial trauma. Cuchulainn, as an icon, becomes a lens through which we can examine the narratives of power, resistance, and sacrifice. Editor: And the gestural application of the paint itself speaks to the physical labor involved in both the creation of the image and, metaphorically, Cuchulainn's own struggles. It makes me think about the cost, the production of heroism. Curator: It is interesting to consider how we project these romanticized versions of heroism onto narratives that ignore the class struggles of the people, in a country struggling to come to terms with its identity, and with the weight of its historical myths. Editor: It's a powerful piece. It forces us to confront not just the legend but the very act of myth-making. Curator: Indeed. It demands that we question who gets to tell these stories and how they are used to shape our understanding of ourselves and our history.