Born in Dublin in 1943 of Austrian and Irish parentage, his original ambition was to be a classical piano composer. However, he had always shown artistic leanings, and it was on the advice of no less a personage than President Eamon DeValera that he eschewed the piano (for which he had already performed three recitals of his own works) in favour of art. "Do one thing and do it well, " said the long fellow to the young Schwatschke, when the artist painted DeValera during his time as Chancellor of the National University. So the potential composer made the decision to pursue a career in art . . . a decision which, it would appear, has served both the artist and Irish art very well.

Indeed, despite having become known recently for his caricatures (all drawn from the ether . . . none is based on actual people), Schwatschke originally made his name as a classical portrait painter, and can name some of the world's more prominent people as subjects. DeValera was probably his first public figure, but since then he has painted actors, churchmen and states-people, including Cyril Cusack and Ingrid Bergman, Archbishops Simms and McAdoo of Dublin and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

He has also painted two neighbours . . . actor Robert Mitchum and author Harold Robbins, whom he painted during a stint in California.

"I am not interested in politics or religion . . . I treat individuals as if they have no background, " he said. "But I am interested in the person, and if they have achieved high office, I am even more interested in them."

While the great and the good have sat for Schwatschke, his greatest fame has come through his caricatures.

"It was in 1968 that I sent a caricature to Phillips in London for sale, and there was a great fuss about it, " he said. "From then on, I did an occasional one, but recently there has been a great demand for my caricatures.

People don't want my serious work as much, and, apart from commissions, I don't have time to do the serious work. But I enjoy very much the caricature work, and I paint for pleasure. Sometimes I will find a subject that interests me, and I will elaborate on it, so it gets worse and worse in the caricature style, and it evolves as the painting is being done. But everyone is imaginary . . . you only have to go into the street on a bad day, and you will find plenty of material that you can use." But the artist in keen to stress that neither person, nor any other of his "subjects", are based on real people.

"I don't like doing that, " he said. "It can be awkward, and I don't like to make fun of people . . . so all the faces are invented."

And does Scwatschke feel that the humour in his work might lead to people devaluing his achievements as a portrait painter?

"I don't mind that, " he said. "I always expected to leave some sort of mark, even if it doesn't happen during my lifetime. And I suppose it will be the caricature work that I will be best known."

Indeed, in terms of legacy, it was during Schwatschke's time in Provence that he embarked on the beginnings of a project which was intended to leave an enduring mark. His work had become well known around the Cannes area, and hence La Musee Schwatschke was established by various art collectors, which was to be built as a cultural centre. Bureaucratic red tape prevented the project from being completed in france, so Schwatschke transferred the museum close to his home in Carlow . . .

and La Musee Schwatschke became one of the first rural purpose-built art museums, featuring work by the artist, as well as by El Greco, Modigliani and Picasso. It eventually closed in 1994.

While Schwatschke's work was originally found exclusively on the auction circuit, it has recent become available in galleries, especially through the Green Gallery, top floor, St Stephen's Green Centre, Dublin 2.