"Some Greeks Some Romans - The River Boyne 2000" An artists view of the Boyne
			'Boyne' © Roger Cummiskey

Rivers are our heritage, Rivers are our Future. Rivers have seen many Millenniums in and will see many out. The River Boyne rises in Offaly and makes its way via Meath and Louth to enter the sea at Drogheda. Deified in song throughout the world after the battle victory by King Billy. The image which I have painted is from one of a series of river gods commissioned by the famous architect James Gandon (1743-1823), from Edward Smyth, a virtually unknown Dublin sculptor who worked on them from 1780 to their completion in 1786, for the Custom House in Dublin. The sculptures can be seen to this day on the outside of the building, over 200 years later.

Some Greeks, Some Romans The River Gods of Ireland, or Heads of the Rivers, were commissioned by the famous Architect, James Gandon (1743-1823). Gandon was a prominent pupil of the great Sir William Chambers, England's most reputable and distinguished architect of the period, under whom he learned and developed a Franco-Roman Neo-Classical style. Lord Carlow and Sir William Berisford, who became his patron, invited Gandon to Ireland. Gandon's first major work was the magnificent Custom House in Dublin (1781-1791). Gandon commissioned a virtually unknown stone mason, Edward Smyth, to depict the principal rivers of Ireland as part of the external design to the Custom House. This type of design was once a common architectural motif and generally incorporated those elements closely associated with the flow of the river in the crowns of the stone heads. They were part of the make up of bridges, at the apex, which spanned the rivers. This series for the Custom House was completed in 1786, after which Smyth was to become Gandon's principal Sculptor. He worked on other prominent Gandon developments; including the Kings Inns, The Four Courts, Parliament House, O'Connell Bridge, The Rotunda Hospital and the great mansion at Emo, Co. Laois. Gandon's forte lay in his mastery of planning, understanding of details and deployment of materials. The Greeko Romans heads or gargoyle's heads that Gandon commissioned inspires my watercolours for this Exhibition. They are rarely depicted in colour, as the originals are masonry grey. These are all original watercolour paintings. Individually painted to order if sold out. The titles are: The Atlantic, The Bann, The Barrow, The Blackwater, The Boyne, Lough Erne, The Foyle, The Lagan, The Lee, The Liffey, The Nore, The Shannon, The Slaney, The Suir. The medium is watercolour and ink on paper.

Roger Cummiskey