IMPORTANT IRISH ART 1 DECEMBER 2025

64 38 John Luke RUA (1906-1975) SHAW’S BRIDGE, BELFAST, 1933 oil on panel signed and dated lower right; with John Magee label on reverse 12 by 15.75in. (30.5 by 40cm) Frame Size: 15 by 17.75in. (38.1 by 45.1cm) Provenance: John Magee, Belfast; Private collection This painting is the first known representation of Shaw’s Bridge in south Belfast by John Luke. The image of the seventeenth century stone arched bridge over the river Lagan would become a key leitmotif in his work. It would feature in numerous paintings, prints and mural designs. Born in north Belfast just after the turn-of-the-century Luke studied at Belfast School of Art before winning a scholarship to London’s Slade School of Art in 1927. When he returned to Belfast, without a studio, he spent much time working outdoors. Between 1931 and 1933 he made several sketching trips along the Lagan. This painting of Shaw’s Bridge from the south bank of the river shows the Lagan Valley as a kind of pastoral scene. However, the modern geometry of the bridge’s architecture cuts through the lush landscape. Early in his career Luke venerated the French painter Paul Cézanne and here he follows closely not only Cézanne’s ideas of compositional construction but also his use of small, expressive, blocks of colour to build up a scene. Whilst this painting does not seem to have been exhibited in the 1930s or after, the exact image of Shaw’s Bridge it records formed the basis of a linocut also dated 1933. This print was part of Luke’s contribution to the Ulster Unit exhibition in December 1934 (no. 41 and priced £1 in the catalogue) (versions are held in the collections of the Ulster Museum and National Gallery of Ireland). There are two further paintings of Shaw’s Bridge by Luke, the first dated 1936 and simply entitled The Bridge (Private collection, formerly Queen’s University Common Room) and the second dates from 1939 (Private collection). These mark the end of Luke’s experiments with subjects and styles in the 1930s before his commitment to more decorative techniques and compositions after 1941. Dr. Joseph McBrinn, Belfast School of Art, October 2025 €50,000-€70,000 (£43,860-£61,400 approx.) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot38