Postcard from George Bernard Shaw to Thomas Bodkin
7 March 1944
NGI Archive
The Irish writer George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) credits the Gallery as having provided much of his early education in Ireland. This postcard to Thomas Bodkin, who was the Director of the Gallery between 1927 and 1935, is the first documented evidence that Shaw was considering leaving a substantial portion of his wealth to the National Gallery of Ireland. The Gallery is currently the beneficiary of one third of all royalties for the works of George Bernard Shaw and will remain so until copyright expires in 2020.
