Eamonn McEneaney selects The Dragon Mirrors designed by Thomas Johnson, from the Bishop’s Palace Collection, Waterford
The Dragon Mirrors from the collection of the Bishop’s Palace Waterford were originally commissioned for Bective House, Mary Street in Dublin, built by Sir Thomas Taylor in 1732 and designed by Richard Castle. Castle also designed the Bishop’s Palace, Waterford, in 1743. When Taylor’s heir Sir Thomas Taylor MP (1724-95), 1st Earl of Bective, married Jane, daughter of the Hon Hercules Langford Rowley in 1754, the newly-weds commissioned furnishings in the new Rococo style for their Dublin townhouse. The family transferred the mirrors to their country seat Headfort House, Kells, Co Meath sometime after 1770, where they remained un6] 1980 when they were brought to England. The mirrors were reproduced in Country Life in 1936 and more recently in the Knight of Glin and James Pern’s 2007 book Irish Furniture.
With the recent passing of Ronald Tallon, Seán Ó Laoire reflects on the end of an era and remembers Michael Scott, founder and charismatic figurehead of Scott Tallon Walker
Catherine Marshall assesses the unwavering artistic journey of Maria Simonds-Gooding in advance of her retrospective in Dublin
The class of 2014 is looking anew to the tangible joys of creativity, in contrast to its documentation, writes Gerry Walker of the trends emerging from this year’s graduate shows.