John Henry Foley Symposium
Published on 12th November 2024
Dublin City Council Heritage and the Royal Dublin Society are convening a joint symposium to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of John Henry Foley (1818-74), one of the foremost sculptors of the Victorian period in Ireland and Britain and known for such works as the O’Connell Monument, and the Henry Grattan, Oliver Goldsmith and Edmund Burke public sculptures on College Green. Long overdue, the symposium will assess the legacy of Foley in Ireland, Britain and beyond. The symposium takes place on Friday 22nd November in the Wood Quay Venue at Dublin City Council.
About John Henry Foley
Born into Dublin’s working class, John Henry Foley began his art education at the RDS drawing schools. Subsequent training at the Royal Academy in London was followed by his debut at its annual exhibition in 1839, and by the mid-1840s he was in receipt of significant private patronage. It is for his public monuments such as the O’Connell Monument, that he is widely known today, and his statues of statesmen and soldiers can be found as far afield as India and America. Foley died aged just 56, leaving his original cast models to the Royal Dublin Society, and the final touches to his many unfinished works to his accomplished studio assistants.
The Symposium: Friday 22nd Nov 2024.
Full brochure here: https://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/2024-10/jhf-brochure-final.pdf
Friday 22nd November 2024 – Symposium, Wood Quay Venue, 9am-5:15pm
09:00-09:30 – Registration
09:30-09:50 – Welcome Remarks (John Dardis, President of the RDS, and Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. James Geoghegan)
09:50-11:20 – Session 1: Selected Portrait Sculpture by John Henry Foley (Harriet Wheelock, Sophie Reynolds-Lerner, Leticia Azcue Brea)
11:20-11:45 – Tea Break
11:45-12:45 – Session 2: Keynote 1 (Paula Murphy) and discussion
12:45-14:00 – Lunch
14:00-15:30 – Session 3: Colonial and Equestrian Works by Foley (Ronan Sheehan, Richard Barnes, John Byrne, Rebecca Minch)
16:00-16:15 – Break
16:15-17:15 – Keynote 2 (Philip Ward-Jackson) and closing remarks
Accessibility information: The Wood Quay Venue is wheelchair accessible.
We hope you will be able to join us in exploring the legacy of John Henry Foley.
Kind Regards,
Dublin City Council Heritage Team
