A new book celebrating one of Ireland’s earliest landscape artists, ‘In the Artist’s Footsteps: Revisiting Jonathan Fisher’s Killarney’, by brothers Tomás O’Maoldomhnaigh and Dominick Moloney, will be unveiled at O’Mahony’s Bookshop, O’Connell Street, this Thursday February 19 at 7:30 pm. All are welcome.
In 1770, Jonathan Fisher (1740–1809) became the first artist to produce a series of views of Killarney, painting six picturesque scenes of the town and its environs.
Those works were subsequently reproduced as engravings, playing a significant role in establishing Killarney’s lakes and mountains as a tourist destination – a vision championed by Thomas Browne (1726–1795), 4th Viscount Kenmare.
In their new book, the Limerick brothers retrace Fisher’s steps, recreating all 20 of his original scenes. Through Dominick’s camera and Tomás’s brush, Fisher’s eighteenth-century visions are brought to life once more in a striking series of contemporary photographs and paintings.
The publication invites readers to compare Fisher’s Killarney of the 1700s with the brothers’ modern recreations, produced using advanced photographic techniques and contemporary artistry.
The book carries particular poignancy: Dominick Moloney became terminally ill towards the end of the project and sadly never lived to see his work published.
Tomás O’Maoldomhnaigh has been a professional artist and illustrator for many years, working mainly to commission across illustration, equine, and portrait art.
He has held 35 solo art exhibitions and says he has been interested in drawing “from early childhood.” In the Artist’s Footsteps is his third book, following The Book of Clare and Discover Limerick, the latter also produced in collaboration with Dominick.
The book is available for sale at O’Mahony’s bookshops in Limerick, Ennis, and Kerry. Further details can be found on Tomás’s Facebook page, Instagram, and his website at www.tomasartist.com.