Fintan Cullen considers the equestrian statue of a Raj military figure James Outram which was erected in central Calcutta in 1874. The interview discusses the incongruity of using western artistic ideals in the context of 19th C India. The conclusion is about the paradox of an Irish-born sculptor contributing to the imperial game. Fintan Cullen’s main research area is the art and representation of Ireland from the eighteenth century to the twentieth century. His publications display a long interest in exploring the representation of Ireland’s colonial relationship with Britain. Although Ireland is the focus of much of his work, in a wider sense he is interested in the relationship between national identity and art production and he welcomes applications from research students interested in exploring these themes in a variety of cultures or historical periods. His present research topic is on art and migration in the long nineteenth century with a particular focus on Ireland and the Irish diaspora.
Image courtesy of interviewee. April 11, 2018