The Patrick W. Costello
GALLERY
of
Art, Engrossing & Illumination
(1866-1935)
When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.
-
African proverb
“I
recently came across this African proverb. In a rather dramatic way, it describes
a sad, stark truth about life and death. For the author, I assume the “library”
represents the reservoir of skill, knowledge & wisdom accumulated during a
lifetime of experiences, intangible treasures lost when a person dies.
I thought about this as it relates to
PW. When the old man or woman is an artist, a tangible, often extensive body of
artwork is left behind. Talent is likely to be passed on to descendants. The
library of art, which poignantly reflects the life experience of the artist, also
embodies his values, knowledge, wisdom and perception of the beauty he observed
in the world around him. PW’s library survives, not passively, but with
vitality and energy. Seven decades after his death, his art continues to
inspire, enrich and instruct. In ways observable, in other ways more elusive
and beyond the reach of human understanding, his art, and the beauty and truth
it embodies and continues to evoke in the viewer, are eternal and will live on.
PW Costello was an extraordinarily
gifted artist who discovered his innate talent at an early age, had no formal
art education, overcame significant hardship against great odds, and went on to
became a prolific engrosser and portrait artist, a master penman ranked high
among his peers. In less than five decades, he created a vast library of
masterpieces that inspire us now and will continue to inspire future
generations.” Tom Costello, great-grandson of Patrick W.
Costello
Tom Costello
The Galleries
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Specimens
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