Robert Ballagh
Roderic Knowles has written of the artist: "[Ballagh is] recognised for his imaginative and hyperealistic renderings of well known literary, historical or establishment figures
He represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale 1969 and soon became one of Ireland's most reputed painters. In the evolution of his art, in moving from abstraction to figuration, 'he introduced the figure first as a silhouette or 'cut-out', then as a painted figure (as in his pastiches of Goya, Delacroix, Poussin or Ingres) heavily outlined', Cyril Barrett writes
Other features of his work should be noted: his social commitment, which shows itself in his humour and wit, parody and pastiche and social comment, and his quite shameless literary and artistic allusions" (Roderic Knowles, Contemporary Irish Art: A Documentation, Wolfhound Press, Dublin, 1982, p.216).
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'WHERE IS JOE?, c.1989'
- Price Realised: 2,000
- Sale: 14 March 2011
- oil on canvas
- 36 by 47cm., 14 by 18.5in.
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'LIBERTY AT THE BARRICADES AFTER DELACROIX, THE THIRD OF MAY AFTER GOYA and THE RAPE OF THE SABINES AFTER DAVID, 1971-73 (SET OF THREE)'
- Price Realised: 2,000
- Sale: 29 September 2008
- silkscreen prints (nos. 7 of 100, 8 of 100, and 35 of 75 respectively)
- 50 by 64cm., 19.5 by 25in.
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'NORTHERN IRELAND - THE 1,500 VICTIM'
- Price Realised: 2,000
- Sale: 22 February 2005
- mixed media print, from an edition of 5
- 30 by 53cm., 12 by 21in.
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'NO. 53, WINTER IN RONDA'
- Price Realised: 1,900
- Sale: 12 June 2005
- silkscreen print, artist's proof
- 41 by 60cm., 16 by 23.5in.
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'PORTRAIT OF EAMONN DE VALERA'
- Price Realised: 1,800
- Sale: 28 November 2011
- pencil
- 30 by 23cm., 11.7 5 by 9in.
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'ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPT I & II, 1981 (A PAIR)'
- Price Realised: 1,800
- Sale: 10 October 2011
- watercolour
- 58 by 40cm., 23 by 15.7 5in.
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'THE THIRD OF MAY, AFTER GOYA'
- Price Realised: 1,800
- Sale: 12 June 2005
- silkscreen print (no. 6 from an edition of 100)
- 49 by 62cm., 19.2 by 24.5in.
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'RAPE OF THE SABINES - DAVID, 1973'
- Price Realised: 1,500
- Sale: 03 April 2023
- lithograph; (artist's proof)
- 19½ x 24in. (49.53 x 60.96cm)
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'PROPOSED MURALS (MAP SERIES)'
- Price Realised: 1,500
- Sale: 27 April 2004
- acrylic on board
- 46 by 34cm., 18 by 13.5in.
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'THE RAPE OF THE SABINES, AFTER DAVID'
- Price Realised: 1,400
- Sale: 12 June 2005
- silkscreen print (no. 7 from an edition of 75)
- 48 by 61cm., 19 by 24in.
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'PORTRAIT OF JOHN COSTELLO'
- Price Realised: 1,300
- Sale: 28 November 2011
- pencil
- 29 by 23cm., 11.5 by 9in.
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'J.P. DONLEAVY, 2006'
- Price Realised: 1,200
- Sale: 14 March 2011
- giclee print (no. 3 from an edition of 100)
- 91 by 69cm., 36 by 27in.
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'THE AMBIDEXTROUS PARADIGM and THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS (A PAIR), 1986'
- Price Realised: 1,200
- Sale: 28 September 2009
- silkscreen and etching on copper plate
- 58 by 94cm., 23 by 37in.
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'A SAFE INVESTMENT, 1989'
- Price Realised: 1,150
- Sale: 26 November 2012
- watercolour
- 10 by 13in., 25.4 by 33.02cm.
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'BIRTH OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC, 2016'
- Price Realised: 1,050
- Sale: 18 October 2021
- giclιe print; (no. 197 from an edition 300)
- 21 x 24in. (53.34 x 60.96cm)
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'VIVA NICARAGUA'
- Price Realised: 1,000
- Sale: 22 February 2005
- computer generated print with collage (unique)
- 48 by 64cm., 19 by 25in.
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'PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST, MICHEAL FARRELL, 2015'
- Price Realised: 950
- Sale: 04 March 2019
- giclιe print on canvas; (unique)
- 38½ x 32in. (97.79 x 81.28cm)
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'THE ROBERT BALLAGH MONOGRAPH'
- Price Realised: 950
- Sale: 29 May 2017
- limited edition monograph; (no. 253 from an edition of 350)
- 15Ύ x 13in. (40.01 x 33.02cm)
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'SILICON SUITE, I, II, III, 1986'
- Price Realised: 950
- Sale: 28 November 2011
- silkscreen and etching on copper plate (each no. 26 from an edition of 286)
- 61 by 97cm., 24 by 38in.
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'BIRTH OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC, 2016'
- Price Realised: 900
- Sale: 25 July 2022
- giclιe print; (no. 120 from an edition 300)
- 21 x 24in. (53.34 x 60.96cm)
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'RAFT OF THE MEDUSA, 2008'
- Price Realised: 850
- Sale: 10 July 2023
- gicleι print; (artist's proof from an edition of 25)
- 29Ύ x 40½in. (75.57 x 102.87cm)
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'J.P. DONLEAVY, 2006'
- Price Realised: 850
- Sale: 11 December 2011
- giclee print (no. 23 from an edition of 100)
- 91 by 69cm., 36 by 27in.
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'THE RAPE OF THE SABINES, AFTER DAVID, 1973'
- Price Realised: 800
- Sale: 06 December 2008
- silkscreen print (no.56 from edition of 100)
- 48 by 61cm., 19 by 24in.
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'THE AMBIDEXTROUS PARADIGM and THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS, 1986 (A PAIR)'
- Price Realised: 750
- Sale: 17 February 2020
- silkscreen and etching on copper plate; (both nos. 60 from an edition of 286)
- 23 x 37in. (58.42 x 93.98cm)
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'THE ROBERT BALLAGH MONOGRAPH [2009]'
- Price Realised: 750
- Sale: 11 December 2017
- limited edition hard back; (no. 330 from an edition of 350)
- 16 x 13 x 2½in. (40.64 x 33.02 x 6.35cm)
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'MICHAEL FARRELL BOX, c.1974'
- Price Realised: 660
- Sale: 23 October 2017
- mixed media; (damaged)
- 12Ό x 16Ό x 2in. (31.12 x 41.28 x 5.08cm)
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'THE ROUND HALL, FOUR COURTS, DUBLIN, 1999'
- Price Realised: 650
- Sale: 29 November 2010
- lithograph (number 51 from an edition of 300)
- 48 by 51cm., 18.7 5 by 20.2 5in.
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'LAND AND LANGUAGE, 2001 (SET OF 3)'
- Price Realised: 640
- Sale: 25 May 2015
- giclιe prints; (3)
- 9 x 24in. (22.86 x 60.96cm)