KEANE, John B. Portrait photograph by Fergus Bourke. Signed by Keane and Bourke.

Original black-and-white photographic portrait, signed in ink by both sitter and photographer. Measuring 540 x 450 mm (including mount).

A striking and evocative large-format portrait of the celebrated Kerry playwright John B. Keane (1928–2002), taken by the distinguished Irish photographer Fergus Bourke (1934–2004) and signed by both. Bourke, best remembered for his vivid documentation of Dublin street life in the 1960s and his distinguished work in theatre photography, brings his characteristic depth and sensitivity to this composition. Keane is depicted in half-length, leaning forward, his expression both weary and contemplative, embodying the wit, humanity, and quiet resilience that made him one of Ireland’s best-loved dramatists and storytellers.

The mount is signed boldly in ink at the lower left by John B. Keane, and at the lower right by Fergus Bourke, with the date ‘83’. Bourke’s portraits are highly sought after, not only for their technical brilliance but also for their empathetic rendering of Ireland’s literary and theatrical figures. To find an example signed by both photographer and sitter is particularly uncommon, greatly enhancing its desirability.

Keane, author of The Field, Sive, and Big Maggie, among many other plays and novels, was a towering figure in twentieth-century Irish letters, while Fergus Bourke occupies a central place in Irish photography. Together, their signatures on a single work form a resonant and collectable artefact of modern Irish cultural history.

A scarce and highly appealing survival in excellent condition, ready for framing and display.

[L2 desk]