Patrick Tuohy


Patrick Joseph Tuohy was an Irish portrait, narrative, and genre painter.
Born in Dublin, 27 February 1894, with a severely deformed left hand, Tuohy was the son of a respected surgeon from poor origins in County Mayo. His artistic talent was spotted by Padraig Pearse, who encouraged his father to enroll him in the Metropolitan School of Art. He was taught by William Orpen and became a professor of painting and a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy. Along with his father he fought in the Easter Rising and was based alongside James Connolly in the General Post Office. He became associated with the Republican movement and was selected by James Joyce to paint his father and other family members. His work was admired by Liam O'Flaherty, Austin Clarke and Sean Keating, as well as many others. Tuohy suffered from manic depression yet his artwork exhibits a calm and consistent realism. He moved to Columbia, South Carolina in 1927, thereafter settling in New York City. He committed suicide by gas in 1930.