Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Waldron

@michaelwaldron.bsky.social

1K followers 470 following 320 posts

PhD | Curator @crawfordartgallery.bsky.social | Deputy Chair, Sample-Studios | Not the MCU guy | Art, literature, collections, diversity… oh and cats. #TransLivesMatter 🏳️‍⚧️ He/him 🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺🇮🇪

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · May 26

Pinching myself to be a very small part of The Routledge Companion to Irish Art, a remarkable new volume that will enrich the field of Irish art history for years to come. Deepest thanks to the brilliant, patient, and supportive editors, Fionna Barber and Fintan Cullen. Maith sibh!

1 4

Reposted by Michael Waldron

John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 1d

Cornelis van Poelenburgh The Arch of Septimus Severus, Rome, 1623 A slightly unusual angle on this monument. (The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles)

1 9

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · 1d

Harry Clarke’s ink illustration for Ligeia (“I would call aloud upon her name”) has been @crawfordartgallery.bsky.social since 1924. The collection also features illustrations for The Pit and the Pendulum, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Colloquy of Monos and Una.

The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 1d

#OnThisDay in 1849, Edgar Allan Poe passed away under mysterious circumstances. Of all the artists who gave life to Poe's macabre tales over the years, perhaps none captured them quite so brilliantly as the Irish artist Harry Clarke: publicdomainreview.org/collection/h... #OTD #EdgarAllanPoe

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Irish Film Institute @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social · 2d

This new film, produced by @molimuseum.bsky.social features passages read from Oscar Wilde's De Profundis by a host of LGBTQ+ writers, artists and activists.

Presented as part of Oscariana: A Wilde Dublin Festival.

📆 Thu 16th
⏰ 18.30
🎟 https://ifi.ie/film/ifi-moli-oscariana-de-profundis/

1 1

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Marsh's Library @marshslibrary.bsky.social · 2d

Delightful doodles of some pipe smoking Georgians found by Maddock Fellow Danielle Magnusson on the works of Ben Jonson, printed in 1616 #Readers #Epigrams

Bottom corner of a 17th century book showing drawings

Title page of 'Epigrammes' by Ben Jonson, showing doodles at the bottom of the page

18 83

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Paintings of London @paintingsoflondon.bsky.social · 7d

'The Café Royal', Regent Street (1915–16) by Adrian Allinson

(Private collection)

2 21 130

Reposted by Michael Waldron

President of Ireland @president.ie · 5d

Statement by President Michael D. Higgins on the death of Manchán Magan president.ie/en/media-lib...

5 46 140

Reposted by Michael Waldron

TG4 @tg4.bsky.social · 5d

Manchán Magan 1970 - 2025 💔

Craoltóir, scríbhneoir agus Gael. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.

Thar na blianta, chruthaigh sé & chuir sé i láthair an t-uafás cláracha do TnaG & TG4. Tá oidhreacht shaibhir fágtha aige dúinn a thabharfaidh inspioráid don chéad ghlúin eile 🕯️
🔗 www.tg4.ie

6 63 220

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Connolly for President @catherinegalway.bsky.social · 5d

Is briseadh mór croí dom an scéal a chloisteáil faoi bhás Mhanchán Magan ar maidin. Thug sé beocht agus brí nua don teanga trína chuid oibre ag léiriú gur lionsa eile í an Ghaeilge leis an domhan a fheiceáil agus a thuiscint.

1 25 100

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Crawford Art Gallery @crawfordartgallery.bsky.social · 6d

Today is #WorldBalletDay, so we’re taking a moment to celebrate this work by Marshall Hutson – a portrait of the celebrated Irish ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer Joan Denise Moriarty (c.1912-1992). She founded the Cork Ballet Company, Irish Theatre Ballet, and... (1/3)

A pastel on paper painting, showing a woman in an elaborate, headdress and costume, with bright, vivid colours, and fabric cascading from her headpiece onto and across her chest.

1 2 3

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · 6d

Thinking of my late colleague, Margaret Kenneally, and her family today as she takes her final rest.

It’s fitting that after decades of service in the gallery, her funeral was watched over by Séamus Murphy and Harry Clarke Studios artworks. I’ll miss her warm, kind presence.

rip.ie/death-notice...

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Crawford Art Gallery @crawfordartgallery.bsky.social · 11d

Happy #InternationalLaceDay!
Did you know we have 430 lace patterns in our collection? For centuries, lacemaking gave both rural and urban women some economic independence and was an important aspect of society. Which of these historic laces is your favourite? Let us know!

#CrawfordArtGallery

A group of five historic lace objects with intricate motifs; the one on top is a diamond shape with detailed borders, a pattern of small flowers, and then a large flower in the center; the one below is a delicate, small butterfly with dots on its wings and even little antennae on its head; next is a small circle with scalloped edging and a star in the centre; below that is a lace collar with a pattern of three-leafed plants, and then star-shapped flowers below that, with large scalloping on the borders of the collar; last is a square piece with geometric patterns – circles surrounded by square borders, repeating, and the middle of the piece is divided into four quadrants with geometric flowers in the center of each. All are from the 1600s.

A rectangle of lace/crochet sample, that would have been used as a border; the pattern very earthy, with large leaves, trims, and woven, interconnecting vines; the border of the piece is irregular, shaped only by the leaves and flowers themselves, rather than having a strict or controlled boundary that the pattern then sits within. The piece dates from around 1900.

A delicate lace cap from the 1700s, made by needlepoint and featuring patterns of vines, different types of flowers, and leaves.

A rectangle of lace sample, dating from around 1640-1650, with intricate, elegant patterns in swooping motions that are reminiscent of fluer de lis. The work is bolder and with thicker lines than is often scene on lace, but still delicate; the sample was made via needlepoint and would have been part of the trim on the front of a lady’s dress.

1 7 16

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · 11d

10 Years On: Reflecting on Art & Marriage Equality

Comhghairdeas mór to all of the speakers and organisers (Kate Drinane, Seán Kissane) on a brilliant day of reflections and perspectives. Tuning in online was a privilege, but oh to have been in the room!

Le grá 🏳️‍🌈💜🏳️‍⚧️

@nationalgalleryirl.bsky.social

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · 12d

🤣🐐🍑

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Museum Bums @museumbums.bsky.social · 12d

You know those photos from messy nights out that look like art?
Here's an art that looks like a messy night out! 😁👍🏛️🍑 #MuseumBums

The Drunken Faun, 1826, by John Hogan, from @crawfordartgallery.bsky.social 😁

A fallen Faun, pushing themself back up with one hand. Their panpipes and amphora have scattered in the drunken chaos

3 15 98

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Apollo @apollo-magazine.com · 13d

‘Could the citizens’ assembly help the National Gallery navigate certain confrontations and gain a clearer sense of what the public expects of it?’ Conrad Landin asks whether museums can really give power to the people and what that might look like

Can museums really give power to the people?

The National Gallery is the latest UK arts institution to announce a citizens’ assembly. Conrad Landin wonders what’s really involved

buff.ly

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Crawford Art Gallery @crawfordartgallery.bsky.social · 13d

🌊⚓ On #WorldMaritimeDay 2025, we're reflecting on the sea's influence on culture and creativity. Ocean scenes are often striking, showcasing an artist’s skills with reflections and light refraction. Which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!

#CrawfordArtGallery

An oil on canvas painting showing a bright blue sky with thin bands of clouds, and a calm harbour scene with rolling hills in the background and rocky shores in the foreground. A small boat, holding a group of 10 passengers of all ages, is landing on the rocky shore. Two men are already off the boat, one of which is reaching back to help a woman out of the boat. The group looks dressed for a fun day out, and a dog stands at the bow of the boat, looking off towards the water. In calm water behind them, several ships can be seen and two groups of fishermen haul in nets with their catches.

An oil on canvas painting in soft colours, showing five sailboats of various sizes, one with a small tenderboat dingy trailing behind it by rope, all at anchor on calm water with only a small waves dotted across the water. The reflections of the boats ripple gently on the surface of the water. In the foreground is a small bit of white sand, with stones, rocks, and grass overlooking the water’s edge.

An oil on canvas painting depicting a hazy day at the shore; the sky is mostly full of clouds, with bits of blue breaking through, and the grey edge of the sky almost blends in with the horizon of the sea. Sunlight breaks though part of the clouds to shine brightly on the ocean below, and to the right of the painting a rocky seashore is depicted, dotted with bits of seaweed. A group of five figures is walking along the rocky beach, with the women in hats, and one figure is off on their own closer to the water. To the right of the group white cliffs rise sharply from the stony beach.

A dramatic watercolour depicting the wreck of the S.S. Ibis at Ballycroneen Bay off the East Cork coast; the sea is tumultuous, full of large waves and sea spray, with rocky shores and cliffs in the background. The Ibis has been turned by the waves and is being hit fully on the side of the ship by a large wave, and the boat is in the process of being knocked over while sailors cling to the rigging. A lifeboat is moving towards the Ibis in hopes of rescuing the sailors before it is overturned. In the background, other ships push through the water. The sky is moody, with dark, dramatic clouds around the periphery, and in the middle the sun has managed to break through the clouds to lighten them and shine on the Ibis, highlighting its peril. In the foreground, the waves crash against rocks that are littered with debris and other flotsam, suggesting the Ibis is not the first ship to fall, or that cargo from the ship has already been washed overboard and dashed against the rocks.

1 2 7

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Paintings of London @paintingsoflondon.bsky.social · 14d

'Concert Hall', Queen's Hall, Langham Place (1929) by Sybil Andrews

(Glenbow Museum)

4 62 270

Reposted by Michael Waldron

The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 15d

Italian actor Claudia Cardinale, ‘who lived more than 150 lives’, dies aged 87

Cardinale was best known for her roles in Federico Fellini’s 8½ and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In The West

www.irishtimes.com

4 9

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social · 16d

The autumn equinox is here in the northern hemisphere, meaning that the new season has officially begun.

This woodblock print by Hiroshige captures the colours and feeling of autumn beautifully.

🍁 Maple Trees at Mama, Utagawa Hiroshige 1 (1797 - 1858) , 1857. EAX.4362

A Japanese colour woodblock print of a scene including river, mountain and autumnal maple leaves

26 79

Reposted by Michael Waldron

John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 17d

21 Sept 1599: Thomas Platter, a #Swiss traveller sees Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at the new-built Globe Theatre #London #otd

2 7

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · 17d

Cork exhibition helps us understand the past beneath our feet

www.echolive.ie/corknews/ari...

Cork exhibition helps us understand the past beneath our feet

Archaeologists Ciara Brett and John Sunderland received Creative Ireland funding to undertake a project which would interpret the archaeology at the ...

www.echolive.ie

Reposted by Michael Waldron

Ennius @enniusredloeb.bsky.social · 18d

The Autumnal Equinox is close at hand as the world continues to turn and turn again....

BL Add 18856; Guyart des Moulins, Bible historiale; c.1420 CE; France, Central (Paris); f.5v

35 120

Reposted by Michael Waldron

James O’Sullivan @jamesosullivan.bsky.social · 20d

Delighted to share that the Department of #DigitalHumanities @ucc.ie will host a digital artist as part of the first @artscouncilireland.bsky.social Digital Artist in Residence pilot programme.

Applications are now open!
Enquiries to @stephenroddy.bsky.social

artscouncil.ie/funding-oppo...

Arts Council Digital Artist in Residence at University College Cork (Pilot) - The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

artscouncil.ie

11 20

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · 21d

💕 Last hoorah!

I’m excited to be giving another free public tour of Grá at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre this Thursday lunchtime.

So why not join me for a deep dive into this lovingly curated exhibition at 1pm!

All welcome, no booking required.

Grá must close this Saturday 20 September!

7 24

Michael Waldron @michaelwaldron.bsky.social · 24d

Comhghairdeas mór to the organisers and artists of this year’s Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival. I wish I got to see more, but what a dazzling array of performance, art, and thought. Already eagerly anticipating 2027!