Collaborating in Conflict

A thorough exploration of the artistic accomplishments and public influence of the Yeats family, focusing on the contributions of its lesser-known members.

Collaborating in Conflict accompanies an innovative multimedia exhibition exploring the prolific artistic accomplishments of the Yeats family over three generations. The important contributions of lesser-known members of the Yeats family-John Butler Yeats, Susan Mary (Lily) Yeats, Elizabeth Corbet Yeats, and Anne Butler Yeats-are illuminated alongside those of its more famous figures, Jack Butler Yeats and William Butler Yeats. Featuring an enormous range of objects that are illustrated in full color, some of which have never been exhibited publicly before, it celebrates the extraordinary impact this talented family had on cultural life in Ireland during the crucial decades leading up to and following Irish independence in 1922. The volume also sheds light on the fascinating private dramas that unfolded as individual family members struggled financially, worked together peacefully in some instances, and came into bitter conflict in others.

An interdisciplinary team of scholars from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland offers new insights into historical contexts and interpretive frameworks for studying the Yeatses. Fifteen essays explore the family's complicated personal and working relationships and examine their developments in composition and artistic techniques. The volume highlights the achievements of the Yeats women in printing, painting, and embroidery. Essays analyze the importance that locations such as Sligo held for various family members and investigate how shifting political landscapes and world events were reflected in their work. Writers also discuss the interconnections among music, theater, visual art, and poetry in the Yeatses' artistic output.