ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the painting with regard to Jack B. Yeats's personal attitude towards war and his own private reflections on Ireland and its historical background. It examines how Yeats reflected on the events of war in his oeuvre. The chapter considers paintings he created during and after World War II, material including sketchbooks and novels. It also considers the impact of conflicts such as the Irish Civil War. The chapter argues that Yeats—like other artists—placed his work in the tradition of modern history painting by drawing on Francisco de Goya's work, particularly the composition of The Second of May. The art-historical reception of Grief offers a starting point for discussing its context. Hilary Pyle reads the group of tinkers as a metaphor for the 'whole of humanity' in World War II, whereas Brian O’Doherty relates the painting to the context of the Irish Civil War and the European catastrophe.
