Jim Fitzpatrick
1944– · Irish painter and illustrator of Celtic folk art
Jim Fitzpatrick (born 1944, Dublin) is an Irish artist best known for his 1968 portrait of Che Guevara, based on a photograph by Alberto Korda. Although that image brought him international fame, his main body of work is devoted to illustrating Irish myth and Celtic tradition.
In 1978 he wrote and illustrated The Book of Conquests, a retelling of the Irish mythological cycle Lebor Gabála Érenn. Its richly detailed illustrations accompany the narrative and draw on Celtic spirals and knotwork. He followed it with The Silver Arm, which covers several chapters of Irish mythology. He later began a third volume, The Son of the Sun, in 2004, but it was never published.
Fitzpatrick also worked with musicians. He produced artwork for Thin Lizzy, including band portraits and the logo for their album Fighting, and illustrated Sinéad O'Connor's album Faith and Courage in 2000. In 2023 he released Ancient Ireland, Land of Legend, his first portfolio in forty years.
His legacy lies largely in spreading a contemporary Celtic visual style and in the Guevara image, which he chose to release from copyright so that left-wing groups could use it freely.